Immigrants
Many heresies begin not with outright rejection, but with an overemphasis of one truth at the expense of another. For instance: Jesus is God. Jesus is man. He is both — fully divine and fully human. To over-emphasize one at the expense of the other is to stray from the truth. So, too, in the immigration debate: we must hold together the inviolable dignity of the migrant with the legitimate right of the nation to secure its borders. I hear, justly so, a robust defense of the first principle. The second, however, is too often ignored. Why? There are numerous prudential questions that fold into the second principle. What constitutes order? How many migrants are sustainable? What level of assimilation is required for social cohesion? These are difficult questions to ask, let alone answer. Our current debate also seems to start with an assumption that every migrant is a vulnerable person fleeing oppression. And likewise, Western societies must accept them all — no questions asked. But here in my hometown of Denver, the criminal Tren de Aragua gang has ruined the lives of the poorest citizens and migrants in the shadows. They quickly came in and began trafficking in sex, human labor, drugs, weapons, and offered hit men at a low price. Which brings us to Catholic teaching on migration. A faithful Catholic approach to immigration begins not with politics but with people — with the conviction that every migrant bears the face of Christ. Pope Leo’s reminder that “the Church has always recognized in migrants a living presence of the Lord” strikes directly at the heart of our moral duty. We stand entirely with him. Compassion, hospitality, and solidarity with the poor are not optional virtues; they are at the center of the Gospel. Yet, Catholic teaching also holds that charity is never opposed to order. The Catechism is explicit: nations have the right — and rulers the duty — to regulate their borders prudently for the sake of the common good. Welcoming the stranger and safeguarding one’s own citizens are not contradictory; they are complementary duties rooted in justice. We cannot pretend that previous administrations upheld the common good through their immigration policies. Failure to secure the border, to enforce laws, or to ensure safe and legal processes is not mercy — it is neglect. A truly Catholic vision demands more: a system that protects the vulnerable, honors the law, and preserves the moral fabric of the nation. And this is why what occurred outside an ICE facility in suburban Chicago on Saturday can be criticized as politicization of the Blessed Sacrament. A priest chose to lead a Eucharistic procession flanked by activists in bright yellow vests toward a federal office, arriving on a weekend when no officials would even be present, only to lament to the cameras that “no ICE or Federal representatives were there.” Any Catholic with a beating heart recognizes the moral call to bring Christ to the suffering, including migrants and the imprisoned. The Church has a duty to ensure access to Confession and Holy Communion for detainees; that is non-negotiable. But that sacred mission is often accomplished through fidelity, order, and perseverance, as the Bishops of Florida have shown in securing sacramental access for detainees through established channels, without spectacle, without turning the Eucharist into a gesture of protest. How do I know this? Because my team assisted the bishops with their requests to get the sacraments into “Alligator Alcatraz.” And we would happily do so for the detainees at the Broadview, Illinois, ICE detention center. I want Jesus to be brought to every person. Bring him to the prisons! Just this weekend the Most Reverend Michael Olson, Bishop of Fort Worth (TX), baptized and confirmed seven women incarcerated at FMC Carswell Fort Worth — in person and without fanfare. That’s a model for us. The Holy Eucharist is not a political symbol, but the Body and Blood of Christ. Its reception must be preceded by catechesis, repentance, and spiritual readiness — especially in situations of incarceration, where pastoral accompaniment is essential. I want the people in that ICE Detention Center — and every such facility — to have Jesus. I also know, however, that this nation has a moral duty to uphold its laws for the sake of the common good. For this reason, we should not demonize the officials upholding that principle of the immigration stance of our Church. May we work toward a society where justice and mercy walk hand in hand — where the vulnerable are protected, the dangerous restrained, and every soul given the chance to encounter the transforming love of Christ. That is the truly Catholic response to immigration: not fear, not theater — but truth, charity and hope. And a healthy tension between the two truths of immigration. Go forward bravely, Kelsey ReinhardtPresident, CatholicVote |
John Barleycorn 