Leo XIV calls US authorities to ‘consider’ & ‘attend to’ detainees’ spiritual needs
Pope Leo XIV called on US authorities to consider and attend to the rights and especially the spiritual needs of immigrants under detention, as the Trump administration continues to draw sharp criticism for its immigration policy and enforcement tactics.
“I think that there’s a deep reflection that needs to be made in terms of what’s happening,” Leo said in response to a journalist’s question outside Castel Gandolfo on Tuesday evening, one of several the pontiff fielded during another of the informal question-and-answer sessions at the gate of the papal summer residence that have been a semi-regular feature of his still young pontificate.
“[M]any people who have lived for years and years and years, never causing problems, have been deeply affected by what’s going on right now,” the pontiff said.
Spiritual rights of detainees
“The spiritual rights of people who have been detained should also be considered,” Leo said, “and I would certainly invite the authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to the needs of those people.”
“Many times, they’ve been separated from their families for a good amount of time,” Leo continued, “no one knows what’s happening – but their own spiritual needs should be attended to.”
Weekend Chicago-area incident
The journalist asking the question referred to a high-profile incident over the past weekend, at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility near Leo’s native Chicago, in which an auxiliary bishop of the Chicago archdiocese and a religious sister were denied access when they tried to bring Communion to detainees.
Bishop Jose María García-Maldonado celebrated Mass on Nov. 1, the Solemnity of All Saints, for hundreds of people gathered outside the Broadview ICE facility near Chicago, where advocates allege detainees’, rights are being violated.
The US Department of Homeland Security has denied allegations of rights violations. According to participants in the Mass and effort to bring Communion to persons held at the Broadview facility, federal officials cited safety concerns as the reason for refusing entry.
Crux asked ICE to comment on the Nov. 1 events but received no immediate reply.
Pope Leo XIV framed the broad issue in terms of the Gospel imperative to welcome the stranger.
“[L]et me say that I think in the first place, the role of the Church is to preach the Gospel,” Leo also said. “It’s just a couple of days ago we heard Matthew’s Gospel,” Leo continued, “chapter 25, which says, Jesus says very clearly: At the end of the world, we’re going to be asked, how did you receive the foreigner?”
“Did you receive him and welcome him or not?” Leo said.
Jesuit Father David Inczauskis, who worked with Mass organizers at the Chicago-based Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership on the request to access the Broadview facility, told Crux he found the pope’s remarks “a great statement of solidarity with detained migrants in Broadview and with CSPL’s efforts.”
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