By Editor, November 13, 2025
Out of 224 total votes, only 5 stood against, with 3 refraining in a bold and very rare statement made yesterday by US Bishops against recent tactics deployed by US Immigration officials.
In the statement, which took over 5 hours to craft during their annual meeting in Baltimore, the bishops said, “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.”
The last time the Conference made what is referred to as a “special statement” was in 2013, on the issue of contraception being made available through the Affordable Care Act.
We have been paying close attention to this issue. Where does our formation as the Body of Christ end and love of our neighbor begin? At church walls? Borders?
Nov. 13th is the memorial of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. Mother Cabrini (1850-1917) happens to be the first American citizen canonized as a saint–and serves the Church on earth as the patron saint of immigrants. We honor Cabrini as a saint because she tried as best she could to live as Christ. She is a saint because–when someone asked her where Christ was–she said “Look! Look at the poor, the widow, the orphan, the alien–there He is. Christ is there.”
Mother Cabrini, pray for us. Pray for immigrants. And pray with the Church in the United States as it urges the faithful to love and concern for humanity.
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