5 US cardinals speak out on President Trump’s executive orders on immigrants, refugees
January 31, 2017
At least a dozen US bishops, including five cardinals, have issued comments on aspects of President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders on immigrants and refugees.
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Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago spoke of “a dark moment in US history,” while Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark said that “they are the opposite of what it means to be an American. Closing borders and building walls are not rational acts.”
In more measured comments, Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington said:
As the federal government pursues any legitimate national security concerns, we hope that it will do so not at the expense of innocent people who are in need, and that it will take all necessary actions to ensure that their safety is protected and that it will expedite all processes to address the need for humanitarian relief.
On January 30, the president and vice president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops criticized President Trump’s most recent actions on Muslim refugees.
“The bond between Christians and Muslims is founded on the unbreakable strength of charity and justice,” said Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston and Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles. “The Church will not waver in her defense of our sisters and brothers of all faiths who suffer at the hands of merciless persecutors.”
“We must screen vigilantly for infiltrators who would do us harm, but we must always be equally vigilant in our welcome of friends,” they continued, adding:
The Lord Jesus fled the tyranny of Herod, was falsely accused and then deserted by his friends. He had nowhere to lay His head (Lk. 9:58). Welcoming the stranger and those in flight is not one option among many in the Christian life. It is the very form of Christianity itself.
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Further information:
- President and Vice President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Stand in Defense of All Faiths in Response to Executive Order on Refugees (USCCB)
- What U.S. Bishops are saying about Executive Orders impacting immigrants and refugees (USCCB Blog)
- Executive Orders (White House)
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Posted by: LACY -
Feb. 03, 2017 1:55 PM ET USA
Will the Vatican tear down that wall?
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Posted by: space15796 -
Feb. 02, 2017 3:06 AM ET USA
Follow the money - a billion dollars in federal money was divvied up between Catholic charities and Lutheran Family Services (and others) in 2015 for refugee resettlement programs. These Christ-followers were very well compensated by tax-payers for every "service" they provided. Fear, riots, terror, mobs, lawlessness - that's what is not American. I for one and so happy order is being restored to my country.
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Posted by: Bveritas2322 -
Feb. 01, 2017 3:08 PM ET USA
To say that closing borders and building walls are not rational acts is not a rational act.
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Posted by: FredC -
Feb. 01, 2017 12:38 PM ET USA
Trump's order concerns people from ISIS-dominated countries, not from Muslim countries. The bishops and cardinals should have an open debate on the issue, before making their proclamations, so they would have all of the facts.
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Posted by: skall391825 -
Feb. 01, 2017 5:55 AM ET USA
That there are Liberal prelates who feign ignorance of what Trump actually says and does as cover for disobeying Church teaching regarding involvement with politics, is a disgrace that harms the Church in many respects.
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Posted by: Elan -
Jan. 31, 2017 8:58 PM ET USA
They have yet to commend him on his actions against abortion.
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Posted by: jalsardl5053 -
Jan. 31, 2017 7:26 PM ET USA
The folks above have called it out. It is true that it is sad the world has come to this but rational responses are necessary in an irrational world. The Cardinals fail to note many things but the key one is the use of innocent people - even children - to do great harm. The one thing that can be said for these Cardinals is they support their divisive pope.
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Posted by: Lucius49 -
Jan. 31, 2017 4:46 PM ET USA
Where were these same bishops when Obama stopped the wet foot dry foot policy for Cuban refugees from Castro??? It seems like the outrage is linked to political correctness rather than Catholic doctrine and objective concerns of the security of the country in the face of radical Islamic terrorism. Time for these prelates to get real.
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Posted by: Frodo1945 -
Jan. 31, 2017 11:39 AM ET USA
Where were these Bishops when Obama closed immigration from Iraq for 6 months? Or when president Carter closed immigration from Iran? Their inconsistency leads me to conclude this is a political statement. The Obama administration created this mess with their policy (or lack of one) on Syria. And trump is supposed to fix Obama's mess? How sad.
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Posted by: feedback -
Jan. 31, 2017 9:01 AM ET USA
President Trump is keeping his campaign promises in regard to security and national borders. Unlike many high ranking prelates, he speaks out in defense of persecuted Christians in the Middle East. Also, he just made decisions that defund the abortion industry of taxpayers money. So far, the man deserves our respect.
