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Pope Leo XIV urges labor union leaders chicago Thursday weighed in on advocating for immigrants and welcoming minorities into its ranks. trump The administration’s crackdown on immigrants has intensified in the Pope’s hometown.
“Recognizing that appropriate policies are essential to keep communities safe, I encourage you to continue advocating for societies to respect the human dignity of the most vulnerable,” Leo said.
The audience was determined before deployment. National Guard Troops to protect federal property in the Chicago area, including the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building, which has been the site of occasional clashes between protesters and federal agents.
Cardinal Blaise Cupich of Chicago, who accompanied labor leaders, said Leo was well aware of the situation on the ground. In an interview with The Associated Press, Cupich said Leo has made it clear, including through recent comments, that migrants and the poor must be treated in a way that respects their human dignity.
Cupich later told the AP, “I didn’t really have to tell him a lot, because he had control over everything that was happening.”
He said Leo had specifically urged American bishops to “speak with one voice” on the issue. Cupich said he expects immigration to be a top agenda item at the November meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
“It needs to be front and center right now. It is today’s issue. And we can’t dance around it,” Cupich said.
Catholic leaders in the US have condemned the Trump administration’s actions, which have separated families and raised fears that people could be arrested and deported at any time. The administration has defended the action as protecting public safety and national security.
“He (Leo) wants us as bishops to make sure that we speak on behalf of the undocumented or anyone who is vulnerable to maintain their dignity,” Cupich said. “We all need to remember that as human beings we all share the same dignity.”
Cupich said he was pleased by Leo’s comments last week, in which the pope defended the cardinal’s decision to honor the Illinois senator. dick durbin For his work helping immigrants. Some conservative US bishops objected to the plans, given the powerful Democratic senator’s support for abortion rights, and ultimately rejected the award.
The meeting was the second in as many days that an American Pope has heard directly from an American bishop on the front lines of the migration crackdown in history. On Wednesday, El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz brought Leo letters from desperate immigrant families.
Cupich was in Rome for Vatican meetings and also with a group of Chicago schoolchildren, who received a special greeting from Leo during Wednesday’s general audience. The kids organized their own “mock conclave” at school last spring and footage of their deliberations went viral online as the real conclave began in Rome. He appeared before the audience on Wednesday dressed as a Cardinal, Swiss Guard and Pope.
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