Author John Daniel Davidson profileIn a letter sent to U.S. bishops on Tuesday, Pope Francis attacked President Trump’s immigration policy, calling the president’s plan for mass deportations “a major crisis,” and condemning “any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality.” The pope also appeared to take a swipe at recent remarks by Vice President J.D. Vance about the Catholic concept of ordo amoris, the order of charity, as it relates to illegal immigration.

The first thing to say about the pope’s letter is that, like most pronouncements from Francis about contemporary political and cultural matters, it’s unclear exactly what he means. In some places he seems to contradict or misrepresent Catholic teaching, and in other places he uses vague language that could be interpreted multiple ways.

Taken out of context from his previous statements on immigration, it would be easy to dismiss the letter as nothing more than sentimental but unobjectionable platitudes about human dignity and the need for Christians to care for the poor. But considered in context, it’s clear that Francis wants to signal that he’s against Trump and Vance on immigration. He also appears to believe that all poor and marginalized people have the right to emigrate to the United States — or at least that, having emigrated (legally or illegally), it would be wrong to deport them. …

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