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Upholding the Dignity of Migrants

February 24, 2025

A group of migrants entered the U.S. from Mexico through a hole in the border fence near Sasabe, Arizona in July 2023. The group turned themselves in to a waiting CBP agent. (Aaron Wells / Shutterstock.com)

From the Office for Social Ministry

“The journey from slavery to freedom that the People of Israel traveled, as narrated in the Book of Exodus, invites us to look at the reality of our time, so clearly marked by the phenomenon of migration, as a decisive moment in history to reaffirm not only our faith in a God who is always close, incarnate, migrant and refugee, but also the infinite and transcendent dignity of every human person.”

- Pope Francis Letter to US Conference of Catholic Bishops-USCCB, February 10, 2025

In many ways, the ancient scriptural story of the Exodus is a timeless lesson about human resilience, the pursuit of freedom, and the call to show compassion with those in need. Pope Francis refers to this biblical narrative in addressing what he describes as a "major crisis taking place in the United States with the initiation of a program of mass deportations." In an extraordinary letter to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the Holy Father reaffirms Catholic Social Teaching on migration that calls us to uphold the inherent dignity of all people. Pope Francis reminds us that migration is not merely a political issue but also profound human and moral concern of our Christian faith in the Incarnation. “Even a cursory examination of the Church’s social doctrine emphatically shows that Jesus Christ is the true Emmanuel who lived the experience of being expelled from his own land because of an imminent risk to his life, and of having to take refuge in a society and a culture foreign to his own. The Son of God, in becoming man, also chose to live the drama of migration.”

Pope Francis’s February letter to US Bishops underscores that Catholic Social Teaching on migration is grounded in the fundamental belief of “Christ’s universal love of everyone and the permanent recognition of the dignity of every human being, without exception.” Therefore, the Holy Father states, “all the Christian faithful and people of good will are called upon to consider the legitimacy of norms and public policies in the light of the dignity of the person and his or her fundamental rights.” At the same time, the Pope acknowledges that “one must recognize the right of a nation to defend itself and keep communities safe from those who have committed violent or serious crimes while in the country or prior to arrival. That being said, the act of deporting people, who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness.”

“This is not a minor issue,” the Pope writes. “An authentic rule of law is verified precisely in the dignified treatment that all people deserve, especially the poorest and most marginalized.” He further clarifies that a commitment to the common good is promoted when society and government welcome, protect, promote, and integrate the most vulnerable among them. The Holy Father emphasizes that migration policies built on exclusion, force, and inequality will ultimately fail, warning that “what is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly.” True Christian love, the Pope reminds us, is found in the parable of the Good Samaritan—a love that responds to the suffering stranger as a brother and sister. The Pope exhorts all Catholics, and all men and women of good will, “not to give in to narratives that discriminate against and cause unnecessary suffering to our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters. With charity and clarity, we are all called to live in solidarity and fraternity, to build bridges that bring us ever closer together”

Pope Francis closes his letter with a call to action, encouraging the U.S. Bishops to continue accompanying migrants and refugees, working to ensure their dignity is upheld. The USCCB President, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, responded to the Pope’s letter by saying: “In this Jubilee Year, may we build bridges of reconciliation, inclusion, and fraternity.” He also asked for prayers so that “we may find the courage as a nation to build a more humane system of immigration, one that protects our communities while safeguarding the dignity of all.” For the past 20 years, the USCCB has been committed to immigration reform as a priority of the Catholic Church and to creating a culture of welcome in which all migrants are treated with respect and dignity through the USCCB’s Justice for Immigrants Campaign-JFI. For more on the USCCB Committee on Migration and their JFI, plus the full text of Pope Francis’s letter to the US. Bishops and the USCCB President’s response, please visit their website (www.usccb.org). Pope Francis’s letter to the USCCB provides an inspiring prayerful plea to Our Mother Mary: “Let us ask Our Lady of Guadalupe to protect individuals and families who live in fear or pain due to migration and/or deportation. May the Virgen morena, who knew how to reconcile peoples when they were at enmity, grant us all to meet again as brothers and sisters within her embrace, and thus take a step forward in the construction of a society that is more fraternal, inclusive, and respectful of the dignity of all.” Mahalo.