Pope and Archbishops trade barbs
Since taking office on January 20, the Trump administration has arrested and deported over 5,700 illegal immigrants. Tom Homan, former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has been informally appointed as “border czar,” speaking to national media as an emissary of the administration. Trump campaigned heavily on immigration, and increased border enforcement ranked among top issues with voters in the November election.
Catholics worldwide have taken notice of the president’s efforts. In an address from the Vatican, Pope Francis called President Trump’s plans for mass deportations “a disgrace,” adding that the plan to deter migration is “a grave sin.”
Francis has clashed with Trump on immigration in the past. In the leadup to the election, the Pope urged American Catholics to vote “for the lesser of two evils” because both candidates were, in his opinion, “against life.” Despite this, Trump earned the endorsement of The National Right to Life Committee, the largest pro-life group in the U.S., as well as CatholicVote, a conservative non-profit political advocacy group.
Some prelates, however, find no issue with the deportations. Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington outwardly praised Trump’s efforts, saying in a pastoral letter that he wishes to “offer pastoral encouragement to President Donald Trump and Vice President J. D. Vance.” Addressing the conflict between the Trump administration and the Pope, Bp. Burbidge offered another view, writing, “We must not presume a conflict between human dignity and the rule of law.”
The student body had mixed reactions to the crackdown. Emily Zavala, a sophomore in Welsh Family Hall from Edinburg, Texas—a town 20 miles from the border—was deeply concerned. In a comment to the Rover, she discussed the impact of increased border control, saying, “I see fear and anxiety, families struggling yet determinedly using their rights to prevent family separation.” Citing what she sees as a contradiction with Notre Dame’s values, she added, “These deportations go against the university’s mission of improving lives and helping the community.”
David Murphy, a freshman in Siegfried Hall, agreed with Bp. Burbidge about the importance of the rule of law: “Entering the country illegally is a crime, and the situation with illegal immigration has gotten way out of hand.” He continued, “I do generally approve of the deportation efforts, especially since there are a lot of bad people who enter this country illegally to do terrible things, and I think that’s where the focus has been on the efforts so far.”
Commenting on the Pope’s criticism of Trump, Murphy was skeptical, saying, “Honestly, I don’t really think the Pope has a great point here.” Murphy added, “I understand the Catholic and faith based argument for helping others in need, but there does come a point where the rule of law needs to hold.” Echoing a common sentiment among Trump voters, Murphy said, “We can’t function as a country if we don’t have a strong border and coherent immigration policies.”
Father William Dailey, C.S.C, Lecturer in Law at Notre Dame Law School and rector of Graham Family Hall, elaborated on the Pope’s comments, saying, “When any pope speaks about American politics he’s speaking at the broadest level of generality and speaking of principles and calling us to the very highest of standards—being Christ-like.” Fr. Dailey defended the direction of Bp. Burbidge’s pastoral letter, explaining, “Bishop Burbidge’s letter is a very good one in laying out what the Church does and does not teach with respect to immigration.”
Fr. Dailey offered guidance to the Notre Dame community, saying, “I’d encourage those who are committed to the gospel to think less as partisans and more as aspiring saints. That doesn’t mean open borders, but it does mean a profound commitment to hospitality and compassion. We don’t have to trade one set of bad policies for another.”
Sam Marchand is a sophomore studying political science and finance from Beaumont, Texas. He squanders much of his spare time by reading the Current Events section of Wikipedia preparing arguments for ND Speech & Debate, of which he serves as president. He can be reached at smarcha3@nd.edu.
Photo Credit: Flickr
Subscribe to the Irish Rover here.
Donate to the Irish Rover here.
