Bishop Joseph E. Strickland: Letter in Response to Pope Francis’s Letter to U.S. Bishops

On February 10, 2025, Pope Francis wrote a letter to the bishops of the United States expressing strong criticism of the Trump administration’s deportation policies and directly challenging Vice President J.D. Vance’s theological justification for these actions. However, Pope Francis remained relatively silent during the last administration to President Biden’s clear and repeated advocacy for abortion, gender ideology and other policies that directly and egregiously contradict Catholic teaching.

Catholic doctrine upholds the dignity of every human being, including migrants, but it also unequivocally opposes abortion and the redefinition of marriage and gender. When Pope Francis chooses to intervene forcefully on matters of prudential judgment (such as immigration enforcement), but he fails to take a firm stance against a leader who openly promoted grave moral evils contrary to natural and divine law (such as President Biden’s abortion policies), it demonstrates what appears to be a selective and politically motivated concern rather than being doctrinally consistent.

Furthermore, the Catholic Church recognizes the legitimacy of sovereign nations enforcing just immigration laws. While the Church calls for humane treatment of migrants, it does not demand open borders or the abolition of deportation policies. For the Pope to strongly rebuke a policy that falls within the bounds of Catholic social teaching while remaining largely silent on a politician who openly promoted intrinsic moral evils is greatly disturbing. …

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