Pope Leo XIV urged American Catholics to heed the US bishops’ statement on immigration, in remarks to reporters at Castel Gandolfo on November 18.
While acknowledging a country’s right to control its own borders, the Pope said: “If someone is in the United States illegally, there are ways to address this. There are courts. There is a judicial system.” But he criticized the “extremely disrespectful” treatment of illegal immigrants, especially those who have been leading a “good life” in the US for years.
The Pope made his remarks during an informal exchange in which he also answered questions about conflicts in Ukraine and Nigeria, his future travel plans, and his regular use of the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo. (See today’s separate CWN headline.)