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Herald Malaysia
6 days ago
- Politics
- Herald Malaysia
US bishops warn immigration raids spread fear, harm dignity
The prelates voiced profound concern in a reflection ahead of its weeklong retreat in California Jun 17, 2025 Archbishop Timothy Broglio, Archbishop of the Military Services, smiles during an interview at the chapel on Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Aug. 26, 2015. (Photo: UCAN Files) By Gina Christian, OSV News "No one can turn a deaf ear to the palpable cries of anxiety and fear heard in communities throughout the country in the wake of a surge in immigration enforcement actions," said the leader of the nation's Catholic bishops in a June 16 statement that assured all impacted of their shepherds' support. Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the US military archdiocese, the president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a reflection ahead of the USCCB's weeklong retreat in California, a triennial gathering that this year replaces the bishops' usual spring plenary session. The archbishop said the occasion of the bishops' gathering seemed "appropriate to give voice to a profound concern in the hearts of the Shepherds of the Church in our Country" over the Trump administration's immigration policies. While he commended law enforcement actions "aimed at preserving order and ensuring community security" as "necessary for the common good," Archbishop Broglio said, "The current efforts go well beyond those with criminal histories." Following through on a campaign pledge, President Donald Trump has cracked down on immigration to the US. Among the administration's efforts are terminating protected status for migrants from several conflict-wrought nations, fully or partly banning travel to the US from several nations, ordering Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to meet daily arrest quotas of 3,000, halting visa interviews for foreign students, attempting to end birthright citizenship and deporting persons without permanent legal status in the US to third countries in defiance of court orders. While the administration claims to target criminal actors in its sweeps, several high-profile arrests and deportations have impacted individuals with no demonstrated criminal record. Some 44 percent of the more than 51,000 in ICE detention facilities as of June 1 are estimated to have no criminal record, other than entering the US without permission, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. The USCCB and Catholic Charities USA are among some 200 non-governmental organizations named in a congressional probe for allegedly aiding immigrants its leaders call "inadmissible aliens" during former President Joe Biden's administration. "In the context of a gravely deficient immigration system, the mass arrest and removal of our neighbors, friends and family members on the basis of immigration status alone, particularly in ways that are arbitrary or without due process, represent a profound social crisis before which no person of good will can remain silent," said Archbishop Broglio. "The situation is far from the communion of life and love to which this nation of immigrants should strive." He pointed to Pope Leo XIV's recent video address to the young people of Chicago and the world -- in which, said Archbishop Broglio, the pope "reminded us that at the heart of the Christian faith is an invitation to share in the communion of life and love of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the first community and based completely on love." "The Holy Father also challenged us to be a sign of hope by making the world a better place," said Archbishop Broglio. The archbishop noted the backlash sparked by Trump administration policies on immigration. "The many actions of protest throughout the country reflect the moral sentiments of many Americans that enforcement alone cannot be the solution to addressing our nation's immigration challenges," he said. "While protest and dissent can be a legitimate expression of democratic participation, violence is never acceptable," Archbishop Broglio stressed. At the same time, he observed that injustice can be a trigger for conflict, quoting Pope Francis' encyclical "Evangelii Gaudium": "Without equal opportunities the different forms of aggression and conflict will find a fertile terrain for growth and eventually explode." Archbishop Broglio said that "the chronic lack of opportunities for legal status for our immigrant brothers and sisters, together with the growing denial of due process to them, is injurious to human dignity and is a considerable factor in the breakdown of the rule of law." He added, "Likewise, unfounded accusations against Catholic service providers, who every day endeavor to provide critical support and care to the most vulnerable, contribute to societal tensions and a growing climate of fear." Speaking on behalf of the nation's bishops, Archbishop Broglio said, "I want to assure all of those affected by actions which tear at the fabric of our communities of the solidarity of your pastors. "As your shepherds, your fear echoes in our hearts and we make your pain our own. Count on the commitment of all of us to stand with you in this challenging hour," he said. He also acknowledged "those in our Catholic service and community organizations working to promote the common good by binding up the wounds of the afflicted." Archbishop Broglio assured "those motivated by the urgency of the current moment to work for just and humane solutions to these immigration challenges" of "the cooperation and goodwill of the Catholic Bishops of our country."--
Miami Herald
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
American Bishops' War With Trump Admin Is Heating Up
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) seems to be battling with President Donald Trump's administration over some of its policies. Last week, the USCCB, the official assembly of the Catholic Church in the United States, slammed U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for rescinding a policy that gave guidance on the care, custody and documentation of pregnant women they encounter. "It is deeply troubling and inexcusable that measures intended to ensure the basic safety of pregnant mothers and their young children while in government custody could be rescinded with such indifference toward the vulnerability of those involved," said Bishop Mark J. Seitz, of El Paso, Texas, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration. CPB Acting Commissioner Pete Flores issued the memo, which was circulated internally but not publicly announced, on May 5, revealing that four policies were determined "either obsolete or misaligned with current Agency guidance and immigration enforcement priorities." One of them was the 2022 memo "Processing of Pregnant, and Postpartum Noncitizens and Infants," which lays out guidelines for CPB, which include offering a medical assessment to all pregnant women and making sure breast-feeding mothers have access to privacy and rest facilities. "This decision is all the more concerning as the Administration simultaneously ramps up family detention in place of safer, more cost-effective alternatives to detention," Seitz said. "Let us be clear: protecting pregnant mothers and their children can never be considered 'obsolete.' This principle irrefutably extends to noncitizens in immigration detention, each of whom possesses an inviolable, God-given dignity that must be respected. "We urge the Administration to reissue guidance that adequately reflects and affirms the increased standard of care due to this vulnerable population while in government custody." Newsweek has contacted CBP via email for comment. The memo does stress that CBP agents should continue to uphold the care guidelines laid out in all remaining policies. "The safety of all who we encounter during operations remains a top priority," it says. "All CBP personnel are expected to treat those in Agency custody in a professional and respectful manner." It comes amid an ongoing civil case in which the USCCB is suing the Trump administration over its suspension of refugee programs. In a lawsuit filed in February, the USCCB said it has worked with the government for "nearly half a century" to help "refugees who are fleeing persecution, instability, and oppression and have come to the United States as a place of refuge and hope." The USCCB said that the spending freeze means the organization "faces irreparable damage to its longstanding refugee resettlement programs and its reputation and relationship with its subrecipients and the refugee populations it serves." Trump argued in January that his mission to "realign the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program" is because "the United States lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees, into its communities in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans." Trump's relationship with the Catholic Church has made headlines recently, following the election of the first American pope, Leo XIV, this month. While Leo is in the "middle of the road" in politics," he is "not happy with what's going on with immigration," his brother John Prevost tole The New York Times. Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity that he is open to talking to Leo about immigration and has also said he wants Leo's other brother, Louis Prevost, "a major MAGA fan" to visit the White House. Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, traveled to Rome for a private audience with Leo, after attending his inaugural Mass in St. Peter's Square last weekend. There was already tension between the church, to which 53 million U.S. adults belong, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2024, and the Trump administration, after Leo's predecessor, Pope Franics, rebuked Vance for invoking a "Christian concept" of extending love to your family and then fellow citizens before the rest of the world. But Francis wrote in a letter to Vance: "Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups. The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the 'good Samaritan' (cf. Lk 10:25-37), that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception." America's relationship with the Catholic Church has long been important. Newsweek broke down the behind-the-scenes role it has played in American diplomacy and culture here. "Much of the future approach of the USCCB to the White House will depend also on the signs they will receive from Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican in the next few weeks and months," theology and religious studies professor Massimo Faggioli told Newsweek. "It's something the White House will pay more attention to. All this in the context of a Catholic VP, JD Vance, who is really trying hard to justify anything that Trump and members of his Cabinet do," the Villanova University academic said. "Vance's pitch is designed for a Catholic audience and the bishops know it." Related Articles Supreme Court Deals Blow to Catholic School Funded by TaxpayersDonald Trump Wants Pope Leo's Brother To Visit Him at White HousePope Leo XIV Inaugural Mass: List of Who Is Expected to AttendTrump Says He's Open to Talking to Pope Leo About Immigration 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
American Bishops' War With Trump Admin Is Heating Up
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) seems to be battling with President Donald Trump's administration over some of its policies. Last week, the USCCB, the official assembly of the Catholic Church in the United States, slammed U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for rescinding a policy that gave guidance on the care, custody and documentation of pregnant women they encounter. "It is deeply troubling and inexcusable that measures intended to ensure the basic safety of pregnant mothers and their young children while in government custody could be rescinded with such indifference toward the vulnerability of those involved," said Bishop Mark J. Seitz, of El Paso, Texas, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration. CPB Acting Commissioner Pete Flores issued the memo, which was circulated internally but not publicly announced, on May 5, revealing that four policies were determined "either obsolete or misaligned with current Agency guidance and immigration enforcement priorities." Bishop Kevin J. Farrell places the Book of Gospels on the head of Monsignor Mark J. Seitz (right) as Father J. Douglas Deshotel kneels with a book on his head during the Episcopal Ordination on... Bishop Kevin J. Farrell places the Book of Gospels on the head of Monsignor Mark J. Seitz (right) as Father J. Douglas Deshotel kneels with a book on his head during the Episcopal Ordination on April 27, 2010, at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in downtown Dallas. More AP One of them was the 2022 memo "Processing of Pregnant, and Postpartum Noncitizens and Infants," which lays out guidelines for CPB, which include offering a medical assessment to all pregnant women and making sure breast-feeding mothers have access to privacy and rest facilities. "This decision is all the more concerning as the Administration simultaneously ramps up family detention in place of safer, more cost-effective alternatives to detention," Seitz said. "Let us be clear: protecting pregnant mothers and their children can never be considered 'obsolete.' This principle irrefutably extends to noncitizens in immigration detention, each of whom possesses an inviolable, God-given dignity that must be respected. "We urge the Administration to reissue guidance that adequately reflects and affirms the increased standard of care due to this vulnerable population while in government custody." Newsweek has contacted CBP via email for comment. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/AP/Getty The memo does stress that CBP agents should continue to uphold the care guidelines laid out in all remaining policies. "The safety of all who we encounter during operations remains a top priority," it says. "All CBP personnel are expected to treat those in Agency custody in a professional and respectful manner." It comes amid an ongoing civil case in which the USCCB is suing the Trump administration over its suspension of refugee programs. In a lawsuit filed in February, the USCCB said it has worked with the government for "nearly half a century" to help "refugees who are fleeing persecution, instability, and oppression and have come to the United States as a place of refuge and hope." The USCCB said that the spending freeze means the organization "faces irreparable damage to its longstanding refugee resettlement programs and its reputation and relationship with its subrecipients and the refugee populations it serves." Trump argued in January that his mission to "realign the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program" is because "the United States lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees, into its communities in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans." The Bigger Picture: Trump And The Catholic Church Trump's relationship with the Catholic Church has made headlines recently, following the election of the first American pope, Leo XIV, this month. While Leo is in the "middle of the road" in politics," he is "not happy with what's going on with immigration," his brother John Prevost tole The New York Times. Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity that he is open to talking to Leo about immigration and has also said he wants Leo's other brother, Louis Prevost, "a major MAGA fan" to visit the White House. Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, traveled to Rome for a private audience with Leo, after attending his inaugural Mass in St. Peter's Square last weekend. There was already tension between the church, to which 53 million U.S. adults belong, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2024, and the Trump administration, after Leo's predecessor, Pope Franics, rebuked Vance for invoking a "Christian concept" of extending love to your family and then fellow citizens before the rest of the world. But Francis wrote in a letter to Vance: "Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups. The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the 'good Samaritan' (cf. Lk 10:25-37), that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception." America's relationship with the Catholic Church has long been important. Newsweek broke down the behind-the-scenes role it has played in American diplomacy and culture here. "Much of the future approach of the USCCB to the White House will depend also on the signs they will receive from Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican in the next few weeks and months," theology and religious studies professor Massimo Faggioli told Newsweek. "It's something the White House will pay more attention to. All this in the context of a Catholic VP, JD Vance, who is really trying hard to justify anything that Trump and members of his Cabinet do," the Villanova University academic said. "Vance's pitch is designed for a Catholic audience and the bishops know it."
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How is the next pope selected?
(NEXSTAR) – Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff in history, has passed away after a lifetime of dedication to the Catholic Church, the Vatican announced Monday. Francis' death comes only a few months after he was admitted to Gemelli hospital in Rome for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there — the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy — but appeared well enough to celebrate Holy Week, and he even blessed believers at an Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square the day before his passing. Plans for Francis' funeral have yet to be formally announced. But the death of the 88-year-old pontiff puts into motion the process of selecting a successor, according to longstanding Vatican traditions. Pope Francis emerges from convalescence on Easter Upon the death (or resignation) of a pope, a group of clergy members known as the College of Cardinals is called to convene in Rome for a conclave, where they will decide on the next leader of the Catholic Church. During this interim period — known as an 'interregnum' — the camerlengo (the Vatican's treasurer, essentially) acts as the temporary administrator of the Holy See. The current camerlengo is Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, the same official who announced Francis' death on Monday morning. There are currently 252 members of the College of Cardinals, which includes Vatican officials and bishops from around the world. Most members are located in Europe (114), though there are dozens each in Asia (37), South America (32), Africa (29) and North America (28). Central America (8) and Oceania (4) have the fewest members. Of these 252 members, only those under the age of 80 are allowed to vote on the next pope, meaning 135 are currently eligible to cast ballots. The successor will likely be one of their own (no one outside of the College has been selected as pope since 1378), but technically any baptized Roman Catholic man is eligible for the role. (The ages of the members of the College of Cardinals also range from 45 to 99, though rarely in recent history has a pontiff at such young or old ages been selected.) The eligible members of the College of Cardinals will gather at the Vatican for meetings in the coming weeks, where they 'discuss the needs and the challenges facing the Catholic Church globally,' the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) explains. Eventually, they will convene at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican to vote by secret ballot, 'processing one by one up to Michelangelo's fresco of the Last Judgment, saying a prayer and dropping the twice-folded ballot in a large chalice,' per the USCCB. If no candidate gets two-thirds of the vote, the process is repeated up to four times (total) per day. The public is notified if the voting body fails to reach the threshold when black smoke begins rising from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. If and when two-thirds of the College of Cardinals vote to select a specific candidate, that candidate is asked whether he accepts the role. If so, the ballots are burned with chemicals to create white smoke, which is sent billowing from the chimney to signal the impending formal announcement of a new pope. Photos: Pope Francis through the years It's tough to say who, among the eligible members, might be favored for the position, as it's considered uncouth to discuss such matters publicly — and even poorer form to campaign for the job. To that point, a popular saying in Vatican circles is that if you 'enter a conclave as pope, you leave as a cardinal' — a phrase which implies the sacred process is no popularity contest or campaign, but rather the divinely inspired election of Christ's Vicar on Earth by the princes of the church. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
U.S. Catholic bishops end refugee partnerships with federal government
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on Monday said it would not renew 50-year-old agreements with the federal government to provide children's services and refugee support. Why it matters: The decision marks the shuttering of one of the country's largest and longest -serving refugee resettlement initiatives. It comes as the Trump administration continues pursuing its immigration crackdown. The big picture: The USCCB is choosing not to renew contracts that were already paused by President Trump. The contracts funded services to help refugees, unaccompanied refugee minors, asylees, and victims of human trafficking and torture. The USCCB worked to"ensure that the basic needs of each arriving refugee are adequately met." What they're saying: "This difficult decision follows the suspension by the government of our cooperative agreements to resettle refugees," Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the USCCB, said in a statement. "The decision to reduce these programs drastically forces us to reconsider the best way to serve the needs of our brothers and sisters seeking safe harbor from violence and persecution." Zoom in: The USCCB said it would find alternative means of supporting the people already admitted to its programs, while advocating for policy reforms that provide an orderly and secure immigration process. Its migration and refugee services are the largest refugee resettlement agency in the world, according to the USCCB website. Context: Part of Trump's crackdown on immigration has included tightening refugee admissions. The Trump administration suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program in January, but a federal judge then temporarily blocked President Trump's efforts. Last month, a federal judge denied a request from USCCB to compel the Trump administration to reinstate its contracts and resume paying expenses for resettling refugees in the U.S. The bishops appealed the ruling. Flashback: Vice President JD Vance in January said the USCCB was not a "good partner" in immigration enforcement, after a number of Christian organizations rebuked Trump's immigration executive orders.
