Pope Francis’ Letter To U.S. Bishops Sows Confusion Over Immigration

On several key points, it’s unclear how Pope Francis’ view of immigration squares with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

In a letter sent to U.S. bishops on Tuesday, Pope Francis attacked President Trump’s immigration policy, calling the president’s plan for mass deportations “a major crisis,” and condemning “any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality.” The pope also appeared to take a swipe at recent remarks by Vice President J.D. Vance about the Catholic concept of ordo amoris, the order of charity, as it relates to illegal immigration.

The first thing to say about the pope’s letter is that, like most pronouncements from Francis about contemporary political and cultural matters, it’s unclear exactly what he means. In some places he seems to contradict or misrepresent Catholic teaching, and in other places he uses vague language that could be interpreted multiple ways.

Taken out of context from his previous statements on immigration, it would be easy to dismiss the letter as nothing more than sentimental but unobjectionable platitudes about human dignity and the need for Christians to care for the poor. But considered in context, it’s clear that Francis wants to signal that he’s against Trump and Vance on immigration. He also appears to believe that all poor and marginalized people have the right to emigrate to the United States — or at least that, having emigrated (legally or illegally), it would be wrong to deport them.

Deporting people who face some hardship in their home country, writes Francis, “damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness.” He then connects this notion of protecting the dignity of all people with the rule of law, saying, “an authentic rule of law is verified precisely in the dignified treatment that all people deserve, especially the poorest and most marginalized.”

It’s unclear if the pope is saying here that laws against illegal immigration, regardless of whether a migrant is poor or marginalized, are unjust. American immigration law does indeed stipulate that all illegal or unauthorized entry into the country is a criminal offense, and those who break those laws are subject to removal — that is, deportation. Does Francis think such laws are illegitimate? That they do not constitute an “authentic rule of law”?

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