Do or Can the Churches offer Sanctuary from the law to others?

Question

Anyone know? In America? When has it happened before if it did and if you know of a case?

Answer 1

Many ancient peoples, including the Egyptians, the Greeks, and the Hebrews, recognized a religious "right of asylum", protecting criminals (or those accused of crime) from legal action to some extent. This principle was adopted by the early Christian church, and various rules developed for what the person had to do to qualify for protection and just how much protection it was. In Wikipedia states: England, King Ethelbert made the first laws regulating sanctuary in about 600 A.D. By Norman times, there had come to be two kinds of sanctuary: All churches had the lower-level kind, but only the churches the king licensed had the broader version. The mediaeval system of asylum was finally abolished entirely by James I in 1623.

At least as early as 392, the Catholic Church claimed the right to give shelter to those sought by the state, based on two principles: respect for the office of the Church, and understanding that the bishop would mediate on behalf of the person who sought asylum. In all such cases, the individual seeking asylum would ultimately be brought before civil authorities with the bishop at his side. So in granting asylum the Church was not acting in defiance of civil authority, but in an effort to make the civil government function with greater compassion and justice.

Sanctuary movements are developing in the United States, Canada and a number of other developed countries.

Here are some interesting articles:
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_060516asylum.shtml
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_041129dis.shtml

With love in Christ.