Cardinal Renato Martino, a senior head of the Vatican�s Council for Justice and Peace, condemned Bush�s approval of legislation last month to construct 700 more miles of fence along the US-Mexico border. The cardinal made his comments on Tuesday as he presented Pope Benedict�s message for the Roman Catholic Church�s World Day of Migrants and Refugees. �Speaking of borders, I must unfortunately say that in a world that greeted the fall of the Berlin Wall with joy, new walls are being built between neighborhood and neighborhood, city and city, nation and nation,� said Martino.

Cardinal Martino praised Mexican and US bishops for opposing what he called �an inhuman program, which is what the construction of that wall and all others is�. The �others� Martino was referring to include an Israeli concrete barrier with razor-topped steel fences along and inside the occupied West Bank and a security fence along Saudi Arabia�s border with Iraq. Palestinians claim the Israeli wall is part of a land grab which will deny them the state they seek in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

During his message for the Church�s World Day of Migrants and Refugees, the Pope called for more laws to help immigrants integrate. �Much is already being done for the integration of the families of immigrants, although much still remains to be done,� he said. �(But) it is necessary to provide for legislative, juridical and social intervention to facilitate such an integration.� He also called for more protection for women immigrants who often end up as victims of human trafficking and forced prostitution.

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