Pope Leo tells US bishops to address Trump's immigration crackdown

[pnwmom]

Source: Reuters

VATICAN CITY, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Pope Leo told U.S. bishops visiting him at the Vatican on Wednesday that they should firmly address how immigrants are being treated by President Donald Trump's hardline policies, attendees said, in the latest push by the pontiff on the issue.

Leo, the first U.S. pope, was handed dozens of letters from immigrants describing their fears of deportation under the Trump administration's policies during the meeting, which included bishops and social workers from the U.S.-Mexico border.

"Our Holy Father … is very personally concerned about these matters," El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz, who took part in the meeting, told Reuters. "He expressed his desire that the U.S. Bishops' Conference would speak strongly on this issue."

"It means a lot to all of us to know of his personal desire that we continue to speak out," said Seitz.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/pope-leo-tells-us-bishops-address-trumps-immigration-crackdown-2025-10-08/

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Early this year Pope Francis also spoke out strongly on behalf of immigrants (and against Trump's immigration policies).

[Raven123]

1. Needs to start with the head of the USCCB, Broglio

He has said little if anything about this administration’s actions. Was the Archbishop for the military previously.

[pnwmom]

2. Or maybe there just hasn't been much coverage. This was from National Catholic Reporter:

https://www.ncronline.org/news/usccb-president-bishops-stand-immigrants-challenging-hour

[Raven123]

8. I don't think so. He has not lead on this issue

A speech in June timed to coincide with a meeting of bishops after all that has happened is a bit late.

Bishop (now Cardinal) McElroy spoke out in January.

“The Catholic Church teaches that a country has the right to control its borders. And our nation’s desire to do that is a legitimate effort,” McElroy said Monday, shortly after being introduced as Washington’s eighth archbishop during an online press conference at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle amid an unusually heavy snowstorm in the nation’s capital.

“At the same time, we are called always to have a sense of the dignity of every human person. And thus, plans which have been talked about at some levels of having a wider indiscriminate massive deportation across the country would be something that would be incompatible with Catholic doctrine. So we’ll have to see what emerges in the administration

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/261415/mass-deportations-incompatible-with-catholic-doctrine-cardinal-mcelroy-says-in-dc-debut

Versus Broglio in January

“Some provisions contained in the executive orders, such as those focused on the treatment of immigrants and refugees, foreign aid, expansion of the death penalty, and the environment, are deeply troubling and will have negative consequences, many of which will harm the most vulnerable among us,” Broglio wrote

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/261717/us-bishops-criticize-trump-s-executive-orders-on-climate-death-penalty-immigration


“Incompatible with Catholic doctrine” versus “deeply troubling.” You can bet if this issue were abortion Broglio would have spoken more forcefully.

[awesomerwb1]

3. Maybe the Pope can watch some EWTN and tell them to tone it down

EWTN (the Catholic channel) is like watching Fox news. To the point where one of it's top personalities (Raymond Arroyo), guest hosts shows on Fox news. I **** you not. Look it up.

[pnwmom]

4. That's not "the" Catholic channel. It's a right wing channel that identifies as Catholic.

Kind of like Steve Bannon or Karoline Leavitt.

It was founded and run by a nun, though it was eventually turned over to a lay board.

[Bluejeans]

5. The local bishop has religious authority over EWTN

Since EWTN EWTN operates within the geographical boundaries of the Diocese of Birmingham, Bishop Steven Raica holds ecclesiastical authority over the network in matters pertaining to the local Church. He could even tell EWTN to shut down if it deviates from the Catholic church teaching including that on migrants and immigration.

[BLewis]

6. Cardinal Dolan's perspective??

And just what does His Holiness expect Cardinal Dolan to say to New Yorkers??

Dolan would likely give an 'atta-boy' to Donny!

[pnwmom]

7. Cardinal Dolan has already reached mandatory retirement age. Pope Leo could announce his replacement anytime. nt

[slightlv]

9. I wish he would do something substantive about the fringe groups

in the Catholic church... like Opus Dei and the other hardline fundamentalist groups. He does have power there, if he would use it. And these groups are the ones, among others, who are funding trump. They've made strange bedfellows with evangelicals and the NAR, and it will come back to bit them in the butt if they don't get a handle on them, once and for all.