Stressing their role as the moral voice of the community, three Los Angeles clergymen said they were standing up for immigrants - and especially the undocumented - in the raging national debate over health-care reform.

Claretian Missionary Fathers Richard Estrada and Roland Lozano along with the Rev. Will Wauters, vicar of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Lincoln Heights, pointed out at a September 18 press conference at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church that the inclusion of illegal immigrants was such a political hot potato that it wasn't even being considered in any of the bills before Congress. But they said their role as religious leaders compelled them to be a voice for the voiceless concerning health care.

"After much meditation and prayer and dialogue with our parishioners, we felt it was necessary to lift up our voices and speak out," said Father Estrada, who runs Jovenes, Inc., an immigrant services organization. "We want to say that immigrants - and especially undocumented immigrants - have the right to be part of the new health reform.

"We're inspired by our sacred Scriptures, so we want to live out our faith," he explained. "We're all children of God, who is almighty and all forgiving. And we know that we are called to take care of our children, especially the poor. That includes the widow, the orphan and the stranger among us."

Father Lozano, pastor of Our Lady Queen of Angels (known as La Placita) near Olvera Street, nodded in agreement. He said if they were politicians, it would be "political suicide" to come out in favor of health-care reform for undocumented immigrants.

"But we're doing it because we believe it's the right thing to do," he said. "We believe it's the just thing to do. We believe it's what God wants us to do - not forget anyone, not leave anyone out, and try to make sure that as human beings we are all included and we all have rights.

"I also know that there are economic reasons that would benefit our country if we included immigrants in health-care reform legislation," he added. "From what I know personally, most of the immigrants coming to this country tend to be younger and stronger and healthier, which is related to the kinds of jobs that they do. And, therefore, the pool of participants in any type of insurance plan - specifically, a public option plan - would result in lower costs for everyone."

Episcopal Rev. Wauters said he was speaking from a very practical perspective. Most members of his undocumented immigrant congregation worked side by side with people who had papers and should have the same rights to receive health care. Moreover, he said, Swine Flu and other infectious diseases make no distinction between legal and illegal immigrants, so both needed to be inoculated and treated regardless of their legal status.

"So we feel not only, and very profoundly, from a deep biblical understanding but from a very practical understanding that this legislation, however it eventually shapes up, should cover everybody that is here in the United States and is working," he said.

"Everybody should have access to health care. But the question is, do we want that in the most effective way, which is to provide the primary care at the right time, at the right place, rather than having people go to the emergency room of [Los Angeles] County Hospital?"

Community activist Rosalio Munoz, representing Latinos for Health Care Reform, also agreed that including immigrants was a difficult battle. He said in congressional hearings so far the controversial issue hasn't even been broached. And he reported that there was tremendous fear in Los Angeles, today's "religious Ellis Island" for Latinos, as well as across the nation.

"What's going to happen to mixed Spanish families?" he asked. "There's four million children who are citizens of the undocumented [because they were born in the U.S.]. How are they going to be handled in any of these bills?"

The press conference, which kicked off the grass-roots health-care campaign for undocumented immigrants, was followed by a Mass of Reconciliation and Hope attended by more than 100 parishioners, plus the launching of a phone bank to local, state and national elected officials.

"We are here to tell the President and members of Congress and the American people that health-care reform must include all working people, including immigrants," Father Estrada declared. "And as members of our communities of faith, we believe that every worker deserves adequate health care. Immigrant workers contribute to our economy. They pay state and federal taxes, and these people are part of our community.

"Health care should not be a privilege, but it's a moral right of our nation," he said. "A nation where every citizen, every worker receives good health care."