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Christ is in our midst!!

Pope Francis has chosen to openly oppose our president's agenda regarding illegal aliens. He has sent a letter to the American bishops outlining his view. There is already significant pushback with two links below showing some of it. It brings to mind the pushback on his letter of Christmas 2023 regarding Fiducia Supplicans. Somehow he misses the "sense of the Faithful" in his idea of open borders and globalism.

https://catholicvote.org/first-thin...letter-to-bishops-promotes-open-borders/

https://wdtprs.com/2025/02/some-observations-about-francis-letter-to-us-bishops/

Here is a link to the actual letter of Pope Francis to the American Bishops:

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2025/documents/20250210-lettera-vescovi-usa.html

The letter is short and easy to read. Therefore we shouldn't have to depend on right -wing political activist groups like the " Catholic Vote" or conservative bloggers to form our opinions. The Pope's job is to correct and remind, even political leaders, when they misinterpret spiritual principles.

Christ is in our midst!!


If this is the case, why did he so miss the mark with Fiducia Supplicans? He had to backtrack and completely exempt Africa from his teaching.

Perhaps Pope Francis could "exempt" the United States from the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Then we could all give our consciences a rest. Seems to me that a lot of us Catholics need to examine whether our political beliefs are more important than Christian teachings. And, perhaps, we should examine whether our political heroes' agendas are more important than the spiritual guidance of the Pope.

Having read the Pope's letter, I don't see the big deal.

He explicitly acknowledges a country's rights to secure its borders and to protect itself from criminals who enter a country illegally. His bigger concern seems to be the temptation (or perhaps inclination) to equate all illegal immigrants with the criminal activities of a few, and thus to treat all illegals the same.

His major push is to recognize that most people who immigrate to a country illegally (whether our own or another): 1. are made in the image and likeness of God and thus have an inherent dignity that Catholic-Christians cannot ignore (we Easterners would say that each person is a living icon of our Savior and should be treated accordingly), 2. typically immigrate to the receiving country not with a mind toward "invasion," but in desperation, desiring better living conditions than what they have in their home country.

The Pope didn't say a country doesn't have the right to deport illegal immigrant criminals (violent criminals in particular). He's only stating that we ought not to treat all illegal immigrants as criminals simply because, out of desperation, they entered a country illegally. We need to recognize that they too are living icons of Christ and that we need to treat them as such.

It seems for Pope Francis it's "Amoris laetitia" sed non secundum "Ordo Amoris."

I'm not sure what the Pope sees as the outcome given the "infinite dignity of all" -- "all" & "infinite," really? -- when "all" do not agree. I, personally, do not connect here with the Pope's hand-waving theology of hyperbole. So on this one I'm siding with Sts. Aquinas and Augustine, and JD Vance (see Ordo Amoris [reformedclassicalist.com]) . And yes, the intrinsic dignity of all requires that even "right -wing political activist groups" and "conservative bloggers" deserve to be judged on merit. It is the duty of all to respect the just laws of others and to change those laws that are unjust and not simply flee from them. Do we in the US need to change our immigration law? That's a good place for us and Pope Francis to start:Crimes for Which Migrants are Prosecuted [americanimmigrationcouncil.org].

Pope Francis:

My advice to our leaders (and to myself): Be prophetic not preachy. An example of the latter:

Pope Francis:
Is he saying Vance misinterpreted or misrepresented the "true ordo amoris" or that he was just incapable of "meditating constantly on the parable" -- yes "constantly"! -- to attain perfection?

I'm not a big Augustinian, but maybe the Pope is not a supporter of JD Vance's theology of lying about immigrants eating cats and dogs, then bending over backwards to justify the obvious lie, by saying it's because Augustine's theology of closer relationships allows for that. Like I stated, I'm not a big Augustinian so I might have missed that in his writings.

I can state with certainty, the Syriac fathers did not divide the essence of persons along national territorial citizenship, as exile and martyrdom were used repeatedly against them by the ruling class - including those affiliated to Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, Islamic caliphates, and pagans

Christ is in our midst!!

I'm not aware that Vance was a person who stated that illegals were eating pets. Let's get out terms on the same page. Anyone who crosses our border outside of a point of entry--swimming the Rio Grande, hiding in a truck or other vehicle, coming with Visa or passport--is not an "Immigrant," "migrant" or other term. Such a person is a criminal, an illegal alien, an invader or other term that fits the definition of illegal entry that ajk just posted. Regardless of their motive--persecution, desire for a better life, or whatever--none of those excuses merits any consideration.

People who came via Ellis Island in the distant past had to have a health vetting, had to have funds to sustain themselves or a sponsor who would promise to house and feed them, and had to state that they would in no way be trying to have the United States government support them in any way. Here we have millions of dollars going to support illegal activity and we have homeless of our own, poor of our own that cannot get the same treatment or any help at all.

I have just worked with a couple families professionally who are what I would call below the poverty level and have been denied federal and state help. One woman who is living on $700.00 per month with 1/3 of it going for her subsidized rent. She cannot get food stamps, SSI, welfare or any other help. She's been to all the agencies and been turned away.

Another couple struggling to stay housed and fed with overwhelming medical needs that are burying them with charges.

I am haunted by the poverty I see around me and get my blood pressure up when I read of the lavish treatment these illegals are getting while our own are on the edge. The lavish treatment of illegals is a political choice. It has nothing to do with human dignity or the other excuses used by both politiicans and religious leaders. It's all about some globalist idea that some people are victims and should be allowed to skirt the law while others are oppressors and shoudl be penalized. Well, some of the oppressors are those I just mentioned above.

Many of the Haitians Vance said were eating pets were legal immigrants. https://www.npr.org/2024/09/15/nx-s1-5113140/vance-false-claims-haitian-migrants-pets

The ideas that everyone that came to Ellis Is were perfectly squared away is not true. Plenty of unregistered people came through, some with other people's children. https://www.history.com/news/immigrants-ellis-island-short-processing-time

Besides, there's still a two tiered immigration system - places like Cuba are given full status for their illegal entry. Why the disparity?

falsely accusing their fellow humans of baseless crimes for personal and political expediency are practical satanists. They are literally following the code of ethics Anton LaVey wrote in his satanic Bible.. these satan dress up clowns and statue in capital are performative. Many false accusers and real satanists wear the veil of being good Christians and are hiding within the churches and among the practicing

POSTED BY AJK:
I'm not sure what the Pope sees as the outcome given the "infinite dignity of all" -- "all" & "infinite," really? -- when "all" do not agree. I, personally, do not connect here with the Pope's hand-waving theology of hyperbole. So on this one I'm siding with Sts. Aquinas and Augustine, and JD Vance
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This is a no brainer. You read the letter. You consider what it says. Pope Francis is counseling us to put the message of the Gospel first in our heart. It's teachings should guide American bishops, and in turn, their congregations- even in formulating public policies and civil laws. What is so hard to see here? What is so threatening about it? No amount of citations and glittering camouflage is going to alter the simple substance of this pastoral letter. As I stated earlier, we have to decide whether Christian principles are our priority, as the Pope encourages us to do, or not.

............. I must say though, you have made this decision trickier now that JD Vance has been numbered among the Saints.

This new saint, by the way, is in the process of throwing the Ukrainian Catholic Chuch ,and its home, to the dogs. Just in case you aren't aware.

We need dialogue and I want to hear the prophet Nathan to the king David [2 Samuel 12, Psalm 50(51)] but if this is all you got, you can keep it. A dialogue conditioned by "JD Vance's theology of lying about immigrants eating cats and dogs" does not point us to a mutual understanding.

Right, but now go from "essence of persons" to the present reality of nations with borders and laws and a chief executive whose job it is to execute those laws. What is your solution? What do you want done?

I hope we can mutually agree that this is totally unacceptable both in political discourse and theological understanding.

That is not just a present reality, that has been a reality for centuries across the globe. My solution: streamline the immigration process - make it uniform across the board, exceptions on a case-by-case basis for asylum seekers. Cooperate with Mexico on South American immigrants, encourage asylum seekers to process to Mexico and remain there. Promote the economy in Mexico and US-friendly South American nations to incentive people to remain there. Anyone found guilty in court of committing any felony or violent misdemeanor, no longer eligible for US residency. Anyone intentionally overstaying their visa and having no practical ties to the US (family, finances, work, education) has to go immediately. Unintentional overstays can be resolved administratively.

EDIT: an additional solution, provide generous seasonal work visas for South American and Mexican workers to work, send money to their families, provide services in the USA, and go back home. The Canadians have seasonal visas for farm and harvest work.. visa abusers are not allowed back in.

Punctuation matters; note the placement of the comma with the repeated "and." (Consider the classic "Let's eat Grandma!" versus "Let's eat, Grandma!") So


It's attention to details, here and elsewhere.

You've lost me, what do you mean?

A proposal for the future but

What about those who enter without visa (or even passport) -- undocumented?

Can you agree the Vance's lies about Haitians were disgusting, undignified, and unChristian, and should never be said in public or religious discourse?

Document them. Then propose a term of good behavior leading to graduated steps for citizenship - good behavior includes work, paying taxes, going to college, avoiding drugs, committing no crime, volunteering in public service, etc. Concurrently, encourage good behavior IN MEXICO for US green card seekers, and give them credit toward US migration time for positive behavior while in Mexico.