Pope Francis Issues Letter to U.S. Bishops Denouncing Immigrant Crisis
Photo by Daniel Ibanez
On February 11, 2025, Pope Francis issued a letter to U.S. Bishops that criticized recent U.S. immigration policies and activities. In the letter, Francis recounts the history of Jesus of Nazareth and his family, who, in several instances, were emigrants, refugees, and homeless. The Pope urges American Catholics 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.” He refers to the immigration status in America as a “major crisis” that those with “the rightly formed conscience” could not help but disagree with how human beings are being treated among mass deportations. The end of the letter implores American Catholics to anti-immigrant propaganda, and instead turn towards “charity and clarity” for our immigrant brothers and sisters.
In addition to his pleas and concerns, the Pope spends a section of his letter addressing a Fox News interview with J.D. Vance. In the interview, the vice-president uses a Catholic term, “ordo amoris.” Vance uses this term to defend Trump’s administration’s treatment of immigrants, defining it as “you love your family and then you love your neighbor and then you love your community and then you love your fellow citizens and your own country, and then after that you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world.” Many conservative viewers were very supportive of this interpretation, but the Pope felt that Vance had sincerely misunderstood St. Augustine’s fourth century theological idea, stating: “The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the “Good Samaritan” (cf. Lk 10:25-37), that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.”
Some keen-eyed moderators familiar with papal texts suggest that the letter is not just a chastisement of Vance and the Trump administration, but also directed to the U.S. Bishops, not as a form of encouragement, but as of form of reprimand. Many of the American Heads of Church have reacted silently or timidly to the Trump administration that, according to the Vatican, clearly reject Catholic teachings on charity, alms, support of the poor, the sick, the marginalized, and justice. While it is uncommon for the Pope to address Heads of State so directly in such a disapproving manner, this is not the first time the current Pope has made headlines for appearing politicized in his teachings. The Pope’s support for climate action, taxes on the rich, civil support of LGBT marriage, and immigrants’ rights have painted him as politically left leaning in the American media. The Catholic Church argues that the Pope’s standings are not related to politics, only to theology.
J.D. Vance has not addressed the letter, but the recently converted Catholic has issued a tweet that asks for prayers for the Pope’s health, who has been in the hospital since February 14th with a serious respiratory issue.
