The unborn, migrants, the elderly and the disabled are “living icons” of Jesus that call Christians to draw close to those who feel abandoned just as Christ did on the cross, Pope Francis said.
Immigration and Migration
Pope Francis prays for migrants killed in ‘tragic’ fire near U.S.-Mexico border
Pope Francis prayed for the victims of a “tragic” fire that killed at least 38 people and injured some 29 others at a migrant processing center in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, March 27.
Catholic leaders express sorrow, outrage over dozens of migrants killed in fire
A fire in a Mexican immigration detention center has claimed the lives of at least 38 migrants, who appeared to be abandoned by guards as flames engulfed their locked cells, according to a leaked video from the facility near the U.S. border in Ciudad Juárez.
A ‘nation of immigrants’ should identify with migrants’ plight and human dignity, says Boston cardinal
A political climate hostile to the needs and existence of immigrants is not only morally wrong, it also weakens the structures of democratic governments, said Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley of Boston.
At U.S.-Mexico border, migrants’ advocates call for action on U.S. asylum policy
Religious leaders, migrant advocates and migrants gathered in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, for a news conference in which they denounced attacks on the right to asylum and pledged to continue supporting those who face long waits to seek asylum in the United States.
West Virginia parishes, people help Ukrainians find safe haven in Mountain State
Veronika McCann is channeling her anger and grief into the efforts of St. Joseph Parish in Martinsburg to help more Ukrainian families, just like her own, to leave the war-torn country and find hope and safety in the state’s Eastern Panhandle.
Papal message to focus on people’s right not to migrate
Reflecting on people’s right to remain in their country of origin, share in the common good and live in dignity will be the focus of Pope Francis’ next message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees.
Welcoming migrants, refugees is first step toward peace, pope says
Safe, organized, legal and sustainable migration is in the interest of all countries, Pope Francis wrote.
US extends stay for thousands of Ukrainians as war enters second year
Thousands of Ukrainians who fled their nation in the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 can now apply to extend their stay in the U.S. by one year.
Catholic, labor leaders raise concerns as Arkansas revises child labor law
In a legislative development that has drawn concern from both Catholic and labor leaders, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, R-Ark., signed into law March 8 the Youth Hiring Act of 2023, which eliminates state age verification for children younger than 16 seeking a job.
Biden administration reportedly weighs reinstating family detention of unauthorized migrants
The Biden administration is reportedly weighing whether to reinstate a policy of detaining migrant families who cross the border without authorization, a practice President Joe Biden condemned and ended when he took office. Catholic immigration advocates have vocally opposed the policy as well.
Remembering deadly shipwreck, pope prays to end human trafficking
Human traffickers must be stopped from risking the lives of migrants traveling in search of a better future, Pope Francis said.