In Baltimore this week, Catholic leaders reached a two-thirds majority to voice urgent concerns about the nation’s immigration policies. At their Fall Plenary Assembly, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) invoked a “Special Message” for the first time in twelve years.
Under USCCB guidelines, a Special Message can only be issued during a plenary gathering and requires a two-thirds vote of members present and voting. In this session, the bishops approved the message by a tally of 216 votes in favor, 5 against, and 3 abstentions, prompting sustained applause from the assembly.
Key Points of the Special Pastoral Message
The bishops express deep unease over rising fear and anxiety among immigrant communities, concerns about profiling and enforcement, and the vilification of migrants in public debate. They highlight troubling conditions in detention facilities, limited pastoral access, and the arbitrary loss of legal status that many face. The message also decries threats against houses of worship, hospitals, and schools, and the anguish of families separated or fearful of detention when performing everyday tasks.
“As pastors, we the bishops of the United States are bound to our people by ties of communion and compassion in Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement. We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care. We lament that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status. We are troubled by threats against the sanctity of houses of worship and the special nature of hospitals and schools. We are grieved when we meet parents who fear being detained when taking their children to school and when we try to console family members who have already been separated from their loved ones.”
Acknowledging immigrants’ contributions to national welfare, the bishops emphasize that human dignity and security are complementary, not contradictory. Catholic teaching calls for reform of immigration laws and for safe, legal pathways that reduce trafficking and exploitation.
Calls to Action and Scriptural Foundations
The statement reiterates the Church’s commitment to the vulnerable, drawing on Genesis 1:27, Zechariah 7:10, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Luke 10:30–37, Matthew 25, and John 13:34. It invites all people of goodwill to support clergy, religious orders, and lay faithful who already accompany and assist immigrants with basic needs, and urges expanded efforts.
In addition to opposing indiscriminate mass deportations, the bishops pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether targeted at immigrants or law enforcement. They pledge to continue dialogue with public officials to pursue meaningful immigration reform.
As disciples of the Lord, we remain men and women of hope, and hope does not disappoint! (cf. Romans 5:5)
May the mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe enfold us all in her maternal and loving care and draw us ever closer to the heart of Christ.
