Pope Leo on Tuesday called for “deep reflection” in the United States on the treatment of migrants under President Donald Trump’s administration, urging that the spiritual needs of those in detention be respected and their dignity upheld.
Speaking to reporters at his residence in Castel Gandolfo, the pontiff, the first American to hold the papacy and a native of Chicago, responded to questions about reports that immigrants detained at a federal facility in Broadview, near Chicago, were denied the opportunity to receive Holy Communion, a central Catholic sacrament.
Citing Matthew 25 from the Bible, Leo said, “Jesus says very clearly that at the end of the world, we’ll be asked how we received the foreigner, whether we welcomed him or not. I think there’s a deep reflection that needs to be made about what’s happening right now.”
The pope said many long-term U.S. residents “who have lived for years and never caused problems” were being profoundly affected by the current immigration policies.
He urged authorities to allow clergy access to detainees, saying, “They’ve been separated from their families for long periods, and no one knows what will happen to them, but their spiritual needs must be attended to.”
A delegation of Catholic clergy, including a bishop, was reportedly turned away from the Broadview facility on November 1, All Saints’ Day, when they tried to administer Communion.
The site is part of the Trump administration’s intensified immigration crackdown in Chicago, where more than 3,000 people have been detained, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Since his election in May to succeed the late Pope Francis, Leo has been measured in tone but increasingly vocal in criticizing the Trump administration’s handling of migration.
In his first major papal document issued on October 9, he called on the global community to protect migrants and echoed Francis’ earlier rebuke of anti-immigrant policies.
On Tuesday, the pope also criticized Washington’s deployment of warships near Venezuela, warning that military escalation risked undermining peace.
“The role of armed forces should be to defend peace,” he said. “We won’t win with violence, the right path is dialogue and the pursuit of just solutions.”
Pope Leo’s remarks signal a widening rift between the Vatican and Washington over immigration and foreign policy, continuing the legacy of moral confrontation established under his predecessor.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
