U.S. bishops are taking a wait-and-see approach to what President-elect Donald Trump does with his campaign promise to carry out mass deportations of immigrants in the country illegally.
But the bishops say they are prepared to speak out forcefully if Trump moves forward with the controversial proposal in a way that undermines human dignity.
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That was the message delivered by the authorities of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on the first public day of its fall assembly, held in Baltimore on November 12, a week after the elections.
“We are waiting to see what exactly takes shape,” said Bishop Mark Seitz, head of the USCCB migration committee, who spoke to reporters along with the president of the Episcopate, Bishop Timothy Broglio, and Bishop Michael Burbidge, president of the USCCB pro-life committee.
The first said the prelates are ready to “speak out loud” if the Trump administration moves forward in a way that violates basic human rights.
Bishop Seitz of El Paso, Texas, has rejected the state government’s attempt to restrict Catholic ministry to immigrants in his diocese. On Tuesday, he said the bishops were “concerned” about Trump’s rhetoric on immigration on the campaign trail, but that they “don’t want to get ahead” of the administration before it announces its concrete plans.
“We know that very often reality is different from rhetoric,” said the prelate. “We will be attentive and respond as necessary,” he said.
For his part, Bishop Broglio highlighted that, although the bishops do not encourage illegal immigration, they insist that those who arrive in the country be cared for, since they “represent the face of Christ” in the poor.
“I think that as we move forward, we hope that there will be a serious effort to repair immigration law and also that there will be a renewed respect for the dignity of the human person,” said the archbishop who is Military Archbishop of the United States.
Deportation proposal
According to July 2023 statistics from the Center for Migration Studies, there are around 11.7 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. Trump has promised to deport all immigrants in the country illegally and has said the plan, criticized for being financially unviable, “will be priceless.”
Tom Homan, a Catholic and former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, appointed as Trump’s “border czar,” said Nov. 11 that the new administration will prioritize deporting “threats to public safety.” and national security first,” adding that those who are in the country illegally “should not feel comfortable.”
The proposal has been highly controversial in Catholic circles. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that countries, especially wealthier ones, should try to welcome immigrants “to the greatest extent possible,” but that nations also have the right to regulate migration.
Migrants, the Catechism teaches, have the right to emigrate and must also comply with the laws in the new country.
Bishop Seitz said the USCCB recognizes that some immigrants have not entered the country legally, but emphasized that the U.S. government should distinguish between those who have committed additional crimes and those who, “for the benefit of our country, should be able to remain.” ”.
He also insisted that if any type of deportation program is carried out, basic human rights must be respected, which do not result from having citizenship or not, but are given by God, as recognized by the founding documents of the United States.
The way a deportation program is carried out “will be a test for our nation,” said the bishop of El Paso, who added that the bishops will certainly assure undocumented immigrants “of our accompaniment with them” in the midst of what may come. , because “we are not going to run and leave them.”
In relation to ministry to migrants, Bishop Broglio indicated that the Church’s ability to carry out its mission of service is a matter of religious freedom.
“I think we have to insist on our ability to live by our faith and also to practice it, especially as it relates to the most needy and marginalized in our society,” he said.
Pro-life lessons and in vitro fertilization (IVF)
Beyond immigration, Bishop Burbidge, Bishop of Arlington, Virginia, commented on the pro-life lessons of the election, which included the first three victories in state initiatives since the repeal of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
The bishop emphasized the importance of the pro-life movement “being at the forefront” of state-level battles by getting messages out early and concisely.
“We will never be able, financially, to keep up with those who fight to legalize abortion in their states,” he admitted. “We must trust in the truth we have, in the prayers and sacrifices we make and also in making clear the extreme positions of those who are working to legalize abortion in their states.”
And although Trump has indicated that he is not open to restricting abortion at the federal level, Bishop Burbidge said he was “somewhat optimistic” that the pro-life movement would find an “open ear” to support initiatives that aim to support mothers, unborn children and family life, such as child tax credits and even the USCCB program itself, Walking with mothers in need.
“Any way that there can be a partnership to increase those opportunities so that abortion doesn’t have to be an option is something that we are going to defend with great zeal,” he said in additional comments to EWTN News.
Regarding Trump’s proposal to federally fund IVF, Bishop Burbidge echoed Bishop Seitz, highlighting that the bishops “will not respond to what we hear in the election campaign,” but rather to the policies that are put into place. practice.
“If it is something that does not support the defense of life, then we will respond accordingly,” he stressed, adding that bishops need to convey their teaching on IVF, a practice that involves destroying life in its embryonic phase and conceiving the life of a way that is not in accordance with God’s law, but do so with “pastoral sensitivity,” given that infertility is “a very heavy cross.”
going forward
Although a second Trump term represents various challenges and opportunities, the leaders of the American Episcopate emphasized that their fundamental mission in their commitment to elected authorities remains the same.
“No matter what the results were on Tuesday (Nov. 5), we knew on Wednesday that one thing would be the same: We are one nation under God,” said Bishop Burbidge, noting that bishops are guided by the truth of the Gospel, not by the political partisanship.
Bishop Broglio noted that after an election “there are winners and losers” but “the main objective is to allow the country to move forward” and stressed the importance of a broad dialogue.
For Bishop Seitz, that includes dialogue with the new Trump administration in areas of disagreement but also in cases where the bishops’ priorities overlap with those of the president and other elected officials.
“We are always looking for ways to collaborate with the administration, with members of Congress and the like,” Bishop Seitz said. “There will still be areas where we can do it.”
Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in National Catholic Register
Jonathan Liedl
Jonathan Liedl is a senior editor at the National Catholic Register. He studied Political Science and Arabic Studies at the University of Notre Dame and has a Master’s Degree in Catholic Studies from the University of St. Thomas. He is currently completing a Master’s Degree in Theology at Saint Paul Seminary. He lives in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.