In a heartfelt letter to the bishops of the United States, Pope Francis called on Catholics to consider the justness of immigration laws and policies, urging them to prioritize the dignity and rights of all people, especially migrants. The pope’s message, published on February 11, highlights the importance of reflecting on policies that affect vulnerable populations and calls for a deep understanding of Catholic social teaching when approaching immigration issues.
Pope Francis acknowledged the right of nations to defend themselves from individuals who pose a threat due to violent or serious crimes. However, he stressed that the “rightly formed conscience” would reject the idea of equating the illegal status of migrants with criminality. As the pope stated, “The act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution, or serious deterioration of the environment damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness.”
The Holy Father urged Catholics and all people of goodwill to examine the legitimacy of laws and policies through the lens of human dignity, saying, “All the Christian faithful and people of goodwill are called upon to consider the legitimacy of norms and public policies in the light of the dignity of the person and his or her fundamental rights, not vice versa.”
The pope also expressed his support for the U.S. bishops’ “valuable efforts” in advocating for migrants and refugees. He invoked God’s reward for their work, calling them to continue defending the most vulnerable members of society. Pope Francis prayed for a more “fraternal, inclusive, and respectful” society that upholds the dignity of all, and he encouraged Catholics to reject harmful narratives that cause unnecessary suffering for migrants. “Do not give in to narratives that discriminate against and cause unnecessary suffering to our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters,” the pope emphasized.
Immigration policies, according to Pope Francis, should be grounded in the respect for human dignity. As he put it, “An authentic rule of law is verified precisely in the dignified treatment that all people deserve, especially the poorest and most marginalized.” He further stressed that true justice does not hinder the creation of orderly immigration systems but, rather, demands policies that reflect the equal dignity of every human being. “What is built on the basis of force and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being begins badly and will end badly,” the pope remarked.
Pope Francis also delved into the Catholic concept of “ordo amoris” or “rightly ordered love,” a principle that emphasizes the inherent dignity of each person and our responsibility to love others without exception. As he explained, “Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups.” Rather, he noted, it is about recognizing the dignity of each person, particularly the most marginalized. “The true ordo amoris that must be promoted,” Pope Francis stated, “is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the ‘good Samaritan,’ that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.”
The pope’s letter also touched on the example set by Jesus Christ, who, in becoming human, chose to live through the experience of immigration. Pope Francis reminded the bishops of the Church’s teaching on migration, citing the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt as a model for all migrants and refugees. “The family of Nazareth in exile, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, emigrants in Egypt and refugees there to escape the wrath of an ungodly king, are the model, the example, and the consolation of emigrants and pilgrims of every age and country,” the pope said, quoting Pope Pius XII’s Exsul Familia Nazarethana. He went on to explain that Jesus Christ’s universal love teaches Catholics to recognize the dignity of every human being, regardless of their circumstances: “Jesus Christ, loving everyone with a universal love, educates us in the permanent recognition of the dignity of every human being, without exception.”
Pope Francis concluded his letter with a call for solidarity and compassion, urging the faithful to view immigration not through the lens of fear or division, but through the eyes of love and respect for human dignity. In light of the challenges facing migrants today, the pope’s words remind us of the need for a compassionate and just response that reflects the Gospel’s teachings on love and justice.
I am truly torn by this issue as for the last four years our border was “open” to all! We had no screening process for the 10+ million people who came to the USA since the legality of entry was just not examined. So what do we do about that? The only thing that I can come up with is a process that verifies no “ill intent on the entry” and then an equitable settlement on the next action related to the person (or family’s) immigration status going forward through our normal Green Card process.
Criminals, gang members, and those with a strong political bias should not be allowed to stay here. Families and individuals who had good cause to leave their country should then fall under the current rules for legal immigration while staying in the USA. Green card status is very valuable as it presents a legal path to citizen status – this is a gift to those who get it based on a positive relationship between them and the USA – following the steps to full citizenship.
Those persons with ill intent should be deported with no other rights except “prosecution of law breaking will not be applied” for this particular instance. They should be barred from any further entry into the USA and all applications for passports will also be denied. If caught in another instance of illegal entry the full intent of our laws should be applied and, maybe we should review what that intent is to make sure it addresses the crime of this individual who has broken our laws.
One more point on the laws regarding “anchor babies”. I believe that most, if not all of those involved in this particular situation had no evil intent but rather wanted to improve their position in life in a better place. They should be granted entry into the Green card process (if the lack of evil intent is verified) from my view and given the full chance to become US citizens through that normal process. Future entrants for this purpose should follow our existing laws and illegal entrants should not be allowed this “loophole” in our definitions of the law going forward.
Why do I feel this way? Well, under the last presidential government, they were invited. We, as the people of the USA, are responsible for putting that administration into office and I believe that we should admit that and act accordingly to those who were “invited” to come here, while excluding this forgiveness for those of evil intent.
We should also look at the entire process of immigration (admitting that this country, our country, is an enviable place to live) and do what we can to allow people of good intent a system that allows for legal immigration. This should include a preset time frame on each new entrant of five years or less for completion of the process. We should also apply this thinking and process to the multiple thousands of legal immigrants who have been “pending” in our current green card process for decades in many cases. A simple yes or no should do here…. Let’s cut the red tape, have responsible review of time spent here, employment and self sufficiency of the individual, and make a decision. Uncomplicate this for those who had every good and legal intent for becoming citizens – cut out the costs of complicated legal hurdles and make these people full citizens.
Respectfully, beginning by misstating our borders have been “open,” under the last president is a political statement, not a statement of fact. In fact, America has long maintained border controls. Last year alone the Biden administration spent 405 million to hire 1,300 additional Border Patrol agents. $239 million to hire 1,000 additional Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. $849 million to install cutting-edge detection technology at ports of entry.$4.7 billion contingency fund to help the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secure the border during migrant surges.$4.5 billion for DHS to combat fentanyl trafficking at the border.
That hardly supports the MAGA propaganda that our borders are “open.” The influx of refugees and the infiltration of criminal gangs and drugs are serious problems that deserve serious solutions. They deserve more than a discussion political bumper stickers.
Any who are criminals should immediately be turned back, but those who want to better themselves and our nation should be allowed in. However, this would mean that everyone has to be identified and their backgrounds checked before entry.
The USA allows massive numbers of Legal Immigrants into the country each year. We have just immigration laws and as Catholics we are called to obey those laws. When a person breaks a law he is a criminal,no if’s and or buts. How can we teach our children to obey the law when they plainly see some laws are not enforced. It sends the wrong message to them and of course leads them to disrespect all laws. It’s that simple. There is a legal way to come here as I said , and we allow massive numbers of legal immigrants in. We can only take in so many-I’ve heard half the world would come if they could, which is why we have just immigration laws. Everyone must obey the law, thats the bottom line. Illegal means you broke the law and each day you stay here you break the law, it also means if you broke one law you probably will be more likely to disrespect all laws. It’s common knowledge in law enforcement that if you get away with breaking a law you of course will be more likely to break another. We are a country of laws and allowing illegals to enter illegally and stay sends the wrong message to everyone.