VATICAN (SE): Pope Leo XIV, told journalists in Castel Gandolfo on November 4, urged “deep reflection” on the treatment of migrants in the United States, Vatican News reported.
Pope Leo noted that “many who have lived for years” in the US, “never causing problems,” are “deeply affected” by mass deportations.
He noted many detainees have “been separated from their families for a good amount of time,” and “no one knows what’s happening.”
The pope was responding to a journalist’s question about Catholic migrants in Chicago being denied Holy Communion.
He said “the role of the Church is to preach the gospel,” citing St. Matthew’s Last Judgement: “Jesus says very clearly: At the end of the world, we’re going to be asked, how did you receive the foreigner? Did you receive him, and welcome him, or not?”
He stressed the need to protect the “spiritual rights” of migrant detainees.
“I would certainly invite the authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to the needs” of detained migrants, he said. “Many times they’ve been separated from their families for a good amount of time. No one knows what’s happening … but their own spiritual needs should be attended to.”
During All Saints Day-Día de los Muertos weekend, US federal immigration authorities denied clergy and laity entry to Broadview detention facility to bring Communion.
Chicago Auxiliary Bishop José María Garcia-Maldonado was among them.
