Pope Leo and U.S. Bishops Speak Out!

Spirit Whisperings #14 an occasional personal reflection by Matt Rousso November 2025

Pope Leo and U.S. Bishops  Speak Out!

• It was reported on October 8 in Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter that Pope Leo told a group of Bishops and social workers from the U.S.-Mexico border meeting with him in Rome to speak out against the current administration's hardline policies against immigrants.
• Well, just recently the United States body of Bishops did just that. The bishops almost unanimously voted (by a vote of 216 to 5, with three abstentions) to issue a special message” opposing the current US administrations’ policy of “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people” and asking for prayers “to end dehumanizing rhetoric and violence” against immigrants and/or law enforcement.
• Two days after the Bishops’ vote, Fox News reported that “border czar Tom Homan slammed the Catholic Church, saying its opposition to mass deportations undermines U.S. law enforcement and costs lives.

      So how do we respond to this clear difference of opinion? Do we say that “we agree to disagree?” Or that “the Pope and Bishops should stick to religion and stay out of politics?” Pope Leo began his papacy stating that he wanted to foster unity and that it’s time for dialogue and not division and dissention. Yet we have grave moral differences of opinion. It is clear from a number of recent statements by Pope Leo that he thinks very differently from many things being said by government officials in the United States and around the world. When he calls for unity and dialogue he is not suggesting that we are going to all think alike. Or that all thinking is correct thinking. He knows there are significant differences of opinions – and he is not in agreement with everyone. So how do we stand in the face of such differences? 

     The issue re: immigration is not the only instance of the Pope and the Catholic Church speaking out against current social issues and policies! In 2018 Pope Francis changed the Catechism of the Catholic Church to state that the death penalty is “inadmissible” in all cases. Yet, Louisiana’s governor recently ended the 15 year pause on executions. In March of 2025 a man was executed in Louisiana using nitrogen hypoxia. This is another clear difference of opinion … and there are many more. 

     I think we have to admit we live in a time that demands Critical Thinking on the part of each one of us, something that Pope Leo encourages us to do. In his words, he says we must “think the faith.” Thinking the faith for some may seem irreligious, yet we must not just believe by rote but must think the faith. And this demands critical thinking. For many of us, the Gospel as proclaimed by Jesus is an indispensable source of correct thinking. When we are trying to come to a correct way of thinking, we would do well to ask ourselves if the position that we want to espouse is “antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus?”   A way of thinking is right or wrong depending on how it is in line with the Word of the Gospel. And though the Gospel is not political, it does have political overtones. Because of this the Gospel can inform us how to judge the correctness of social and political positions. 

     The Catholic Church, since the time of Pope Leo XIII in 1891, has established 7 principles of social justice. The Church believes these are universal principles which can be found espoused, in some way, by all religions. Examining every question from the perspective of these principles helps us to make a correct judgement on whether a position being held is right or wrong. The first of these principles, called the foundational principle, is described as follows:

 LIFE AND DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSONThe Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching. In our society, human life is under direct attack from abortion to euthanasia. Human life is threatened by cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the use of the death penalty. The intentional targeting of civilians in war or terrorist attacks is always wrong. Catholic teaching calls on us to work to avoid war. Nations must protect the right to life by finding effective ways to prevent conflicts and resolve them by peaceful means. We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

      On November 12, 2025 the U.S. Bishops issued a “Special Message” on immigration at their Plenary Assembly in Baltimore addressing their concern for the evolving situation impacting immigrants in the United States. It marked the first time in twelve years the USCCB invoked this particularly urgent way of speaking as a body of bishops.. . . a “Special Message” may only be issued at plenary assemblies, and they are statements which the President of the Conference, the Administrative Committee, or the general membership consider to be appropriate in view of the circumstances at the time. A “Special Message” must receive two-thirds approval of the Conference members present and voting at the plenary in order to pass. In a vote of 216 votes in favor, 5 votes against, and 3 abstentions, the bishops overwhelmingly approved the “Special Message” of November 12. (cf. full message below.) 

• As pastors, we the bishops of the United States are bound to our people by ties of communion and compassion in Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement. We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care. We lament that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status. We are troubled by threats against the sanctity of houses of worship and the special nature of hospitals and schools. We are grieved when we meet parents who fear being detained when taking their children to school and when we try to console family members who have already been separated from their loved ones. 
• Despite obstacles and prejudices, generations of immigrants have made enormous contributions to the well-being of our nation. We as Catholic bishops love our country and pray for its peace and prosperity. For this very reason, we feel compelled now in this environment to raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity. Catholic teaching exhorts nations to recognize the fundamental dignity of all persons, including immigrants. We bishops advocate for a meaningful reform of our nation’s immigration laws and procedures. Human dignity and national security are not in conflict. Both are possible if people of good will work together.
• We recognize that nations have a responsibility to regulate their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good. Without such processes, immigrants face the risk of trafficking and other forms of exploitation. Safe and legal pathways serve as an antidote to such risks.
• The Church’s teaching rests on the foundational concern for the human person, as created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). As pastors, we look to Sacred Scripture and the example of the Lord Himself, where we find the wisdom of God’s compassion. The priority of the Lord, as the Prophets remind us, is for those who are most vulnerable: the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the stranger (Zechariah 7:10). In the Lord Jesus, we see the One who became poor for our sake (2 Corinthians 8:9), we see the Good Samaritan who lifts us from the dust (Luke 10:30–37), and we see the One who is found in the least of these (Matthew 25). The Church’s concern for neighbor and our concern here for immigrants is a response to the Lord’s command to love as He has loved us (John 13:34). To our immigrant brothers and sisters, we stand with you in your suffering, since, when one member suffers, all suffer (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:26). You are not alone!
• We note with gratitude that so many of our clergy, consecrated religious, and lay faithful already accompany and assist immigrants in meeting their basic human needs. We urge all people of good will to continue and expand such efforts. We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people. We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement. We pray that the Lord may guide the leaders of our nation, and we are grateful for past and present opportunities to dialogue with public and elected officials. In this dialogue, we will continue to advocate for meaningful immigration reform.

             comments about this essay or the message of the US Bishops welcome