The Catholic Message Board

The Hill: Pope Leo XIV told U.S. bishops to openly state their concerns regarding the Trump administration’s immigration policies on Wednesday, according to Reuters. During his meeting at the Vatican with the bishops and social workers from the border between the U.S. and Mexico, the pope received letters from migrants regarding their concerns around President Trump’s mass deportation efforts. Since Trump returned to office in January, federal immigration officers have conducted sweeping raids in communities across the country. According to the latest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data, the agency has removed more than 71,405 people this year.
Mark Seitz, the bishop of El Paso, Texas, told Reuters that the pope is “very personally concerned about these matters” and “expressed his desire that the U.S. Bishops’ Conference would speak strongly on this issue.” The Hill has reached out to the Vatican to confirm the pope’s remarks and has also reached out the White House for comment. Last month, Leo said that those who are against abortion but in support of the “inhuman treatment of immigrants” in the U.S. are not “pro-life.” “Someone who says, ‘I’m against abortion’ but says, ‘I’m in favor of the death penalty,’ is not really pro-life,” the pope told reporters, via EWTN News. “Someone who says that, ‘I’m against abortion but I’m in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants who are in the United States,’ I don’t know if that’s pro-life.”

Within 20 years, Europe will be a Muslim continent living under Sharia law; this is already the case in large portions of the West right now. England and France both already have more practicing Muslims than Christians. In France, hundreds of Churches have been burnt down through arson committed by Muslims, including, probably, the Cathedral of Notre Dame in 2019.

So this idea that it is somehow it is Catholic teaching that nations are morally obligated to have open borders and let everyone in with no vetting of any kind, and then allow them to do whatever they want once they are here, and never ask them to leave under any circumatances, is not merely asinine, it is nothing less than the suicide of the West.

“inhuman treatment of immigrants”

That should be “inhuman treatment of ILLEGAL immigrants”.

There's a major league difference.
There was a recent video of a legal immigrant from Nigeria who pointed out that although it took him years to become a legal citizen of the US, that he did it the right way.
Illegal immigrants need to be rounded up and sent back. There's a right way and a wrong way of doing anything.

law breakers must be dealt with appropriately. If you are in the country illegally, you need to get out (or be removed). Feel free to try to come back legally. Surely this isn't difficult for you to understand?!?

Tired wrote: ↑Fri Oct 10, 2025 8:41 pm law breakers must be dealt with appropriately. If you are in the country illegally, you need to get out (or be removed). Feel free to try to come back legally. Surely this isn't difficult for you to understand?!?

What I am sick of is the argument that the Old Testament is filled with injunctions to "welcome the stranger", which is absolutely true, but only half the story. There are also laws and regulations regarding strangers, who are required to follow the law, including Jewish religious law, and were not allowed to introduce idolatry or worship false gods. In other words, they were expected to fully integrate into society and not try to transform the nature of the society into which they were welcomed. What is being advocated by the open borders crowd is nothing like what existed in ancient Israel.

Doom wrote: ↑Sat Oct 11, 2025 3:50 pm

Tired wrote: ↑Fri Oct 10, 2025 8:41 pm law breakers must be dealt with appropriately. If you are in the country illegally, you need to get out (or be removed). Feel free to try to come back legally. Surely this isn't difficult for you to understand?!?

What I am sick of is the argument that the Old Testament is filled with injunctions to "welcome the stranger", which is absolutely true, but only half the story. There are also laws and regulations regarding strangers, who are required to follow the law, including Jewish religious law, and were not allowed to introduce idolatry or worship false gods. In other words, they were expected to fully integrate into society and not try to transform the nature of the society into which they were welcomed. What is being advocated by the open borders crowd is nothing like what existed in ancient Israel.

It's my understanding that 'welcoming the stranger' is more than just a basic charity but is an experience of the nature of the kingdom of heaven. My Spiritual Director always quoted Isaiah 54 during the Exercises.

2. Enlarge the site of your tent,
and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
and strengthen your stakes.

We all have prejudices which half the time we don't even realise especially manifest in the sense of entitlement to the blessings we have. What the Church teaches about the universal destination of goods makes clear that we recognise greed where it exists and be as disturbed by it more than the stranger knocking at our door disturbs us.

There has been a series of videos where an interviewer gets folks to sign a petition demanding illegals be housed wherever and by whomever. Folks sign, agreeing that denying housing is denying a basic human right, requiring extraordinary measures. Then the interviewer asks the folks to sign a contract to house one or more illegals in their home.

The refusals were unanimous.

Highlander wrote: ↑Sat Oct 11, 2025 10:01 pm There has been a series of videos where an interviewer gets folks to sign a petition demanding illegals be housed wherever and by whomever. Folks sign, agreeing that denying housing is denying a basic human right, requiring extraordinary measures. Then the interviewer asks the folks to sign a contract to house one or more illegals in their home.

The refusals were unanimous.

Pro abortion people make the same accusation against those advocating against killing unwanted children. Will they all take in an unwanted child.

Perhaps the Bishops could address immigration enforcement by heartily endorsing it ... while advocating humane treatment of the deportees.

Pro abortion people make the same accusation against those advocating against killing unwanted children. Will they all take in an unwanted child

organizations that take in unwanted children include international non-profits like UNICEF, SOS Children's Villages, and Save the Children, and local organizations that provide services like foster care, adoption, and family-based support. For parents who want to surrender a child, organizations like Safe Haven Baby Boxes offer a safe and legal alternative to abandonment, while American Adoptions can help navigate the private adoption process. So says Ai

So many resources besides infanticidal finality. These organizations and many others will absolutely take in an unwanted child.

It's not who takes in the child, its what happens when they are taken in and have life, for who knows how long and will effect how many others

I think anyone who is someone, which is what our faith teaches deserves a chance, a shot at the life they were created for.

Perhaps the Bishops could address immigration enforcement by heartily endorsing it ... while advocating humane treatment of the deportees.

from your lips to their ears Highlander

Highlander wrote: ↑Sun Oct 12, 2025 7:18 pm Perhaps the Bishops could address immigration enforcement by heartily endorsing it ... while advocating humane treatment of the deportees.

But it comes down to having the attitude of Christ towards people. When Jesus came across the adulterous woman it wasn't to judge her but to recognise her dignity and that was enough.

I find this entire conversation incredibly frustrating. Is anyone really in favor of "inhumane treatment" of immigrants? What exactly is being done that deserves that label? Start there.

Yes welcome the stranger at your door. But does that extend to the stranger who barges in and perhaps threatens to harm you and your family (a fitting analogy that I believe Doom made in another thread on this subject) ? Do you have to wait and allow him to harm you before calling the police? I believe we should welcome immigrants to this country. But I would expect them to "knock on the door" rather than "barge in." I don't see any way that expectation can be characterized as unreasonable or "inhumane."

The other problem I have with how the issue is being approached is it doesn't seem like there is any attempt at listening being done on either side. Again, the whole "inhumane treatment" accusation without any context. Of course the response is we reject having our actions characterized that way. How can any understanding come from slinging that back and forth. This problematic approach isn't limited to just this issue. The ridiculous "No Kings" protests this weekend are another example. People marching around clogging traffic to prove their superiority. As if there is anyone on the other side of that issue. No one that I know of is advocating making Trump a king. Or maybe they were actually protesting Harris (annointed nominee for the highest office in the country without a single primary vote) or Newsom (governs by fiat through executive orders)? Don't think so based on the signage they were waving around.

We seem to have lost the ability to conduct civil debate and discussion, to compromise in any way. I fear for where we are headed as a country if we continue down this path.

I've been saying for years, what we need is another Ellis Island. Maybe 3 or 4. People can be better vetted, and sent home if necessary. None of this release and appear in court. They never show up.

We seem to have lost the ability to conduct civil debate and discussion, to compromise in any way. I fear for where we are headed as a country if we continue down this path

I'm so sorry to say Z I feel you are completely correct here. We live in a hateful world and are attacked from all directions... political, economic, Faith choices many avenues in or daily lives. Discrimination for just being a Catholic and of course even within our own house, within my own family. I think the hopeless feeling you have for solution, if for no other reason than the sheer volume of people of all stripes effected by this malevolence, is a big part of Satan's plan. Hopelessness... But he's wrong. We have the Mass, The Eucharist, Holy Hours of Adoration, The Rosary, Divine Mercy chaplet... huge weapons at our disposal

The current condition our condition is in reminded me of a Buffalo Springfield 1967 song "For What It's Worth"

There's battle lines being drawn
nobodies right if every bodies wrong ...

Wrong of course is in the eye of the beholder but when seemingly everyone is talking past the other with no regard for any other compromised solution, it has to be my way or the highway ... and so I too fear for the direction of our country and our ability to to straighten things out. Maybe I'll start believing it's possible when and if the gov't gets up and running again (who are they looking out for anyway?)

I feel we are trapped with one and only one Way out, the most powerful in the universe ... prayer with the Light Enkindled before the dawn , Jesus

zeno wrote: ↑Mon Oct 20, 2025 1:40 pm I believe we should welcome immigrants to this country. But I would expect them to "knock on the door" rather than "barge in." I don't see any way that expectation can be characterized as unreasonable or "inhumane."

This entire post is save-worthy. Thanks for the thoughtful response.

I had intended to communicate that, if the Bishops felt the need to take a stand, then that stand should be to enforce immigration law while not treating those being processed within its bounds inhumanely. Which really doesn't seem to be a problem. Supporting consequences of illegal immigration such as enslavement, prostitution, assault, drug dealing, and other crime seems rather inhumane to me.

Paying a criminal $1K to go home seems pretty humane.

Highlander wrote: ↑Wed Oct 22, 2025 12:32 am I had intended to communicate that, if the Bishops felt the need to take a stand, then that stand should be to enforce immigration law while not treating those being processed within its bounds inhumanely. Which really doesn't seem to be a problem. Supporting consequences of illegal immigration such as enslavement, prostitution, assault, drug dealing, and other crime seems rather inhumane to me.

Paying a criminal $1K to go home seems pretty humane.

That is basically the US Bishops position as explained by this document. https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action ... of-peoples

The Oct. 8 call by Pope Leo came as a result of consultation with Catholic advocacy workers and letters from immigrants affected by current policies that don't take their individual circumstances into account. Or that tear families apart for long periods of time.