Pope Leo XIV has called on U.S. bishops to take a firm stance on the treatment of immigrants under President Donald Trump’s administration, even as he declined to comment on the recent deployment of the National Guard to Chicago.
According to Reuters, Pope Leo met Wednesday with bishops and social workers from the U.S.-Mexico border, receiving dozens of letters from immigrants expressing fear of deportation. “Our Holy Father … is very personally concerned about these matters,” said El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz, who attended the meeting. “He expressed his desire that the U.S. Bishops’ Conference would speak strongly on this issue.”
One letter, shared with Reuters, described a family afraid to leave their home due to their immigration status. “I believe the Pope should speak out openly against the raids and the unfair treatment the community is experiencing,” the letter read.
Pope’s Growing Attention to U.S. Immigration Policies
Pope Leo, who was elected in May following the death of Pope Francis, has shown a quieter public tone than his predecessor. However, his recent remarks have increasingly addressed U.S. policy. On September 30, the Pope questioned whether the Trump administration’s immigration policies aligned with the Church’s pro-life teachings, a statement that drew both support and backlash among Catholics.
“Someone who says I’m against abortion but says I’m in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don’t know if that’s pro-life,” the Pope said, according to LifeSiteNews.
In the same conversation, Pope Leo also commented on the death penalty, saying, “Someone who says I’m against abortion but says I’m in favor of the death penalty is not really pro-life.”
Silence on Chicago Deployment
When asked this week about President Trump’s decision to send 400 National Guard troops to Chicago to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents amid violent protests, Pope Leo declined to respond. “I prefer not to comment at this time about political choices within the United States,” he told reporters, LifeSiteNews reported.
The deployment, ordered by the Trump administration, has sparked legal challenges from the City of Chicago and the state of Illinois. Tensions have escalated between ICE and protestors in recent weeks as enforcement operations intensified.
Continuing the Church’s Mission
While choosing not to speak directly on the Chicago situation, Pope Leo met privately Tuesday evening with about 100 American Catholics engaged in ministry with migrants, expressing gratitude for their service. “He thanked them for their work,” according to Reuters, underscoring his personal commitment to the Church’s outreach to vulnerable communities.
As immigration continues to be a divisive issue in American politics, Pope Leo’s comments highlight an ongoing moral tension within the Church’s approach, balancing advocacy for the dignity of the human person with prudence in addressing political affairs.
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