US Bishops vs. Trump on deportations: Last week in the Church with John Allen Jr.

[@edwardgarcia3718]

I think if someone breaks the law, then the law must be enforced. Otherwise, why do we have laws? I understand the human element - we are Catholic after all - but, does this mean if you cross the border illegally, Christian compassion and "Catholic guilt" makes sure everyone stays? I would argue that it does not.

[@genewendlandt1161]

😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@chrisbiddle3674]

Thank you for your thoughtful reflection on the intersection of law and compassion. Allow me to respond, as a shepherd who must care for every member of the human family, especially those most vulnerable. You argue that law must be enforced, and indeed, the Catholic Church respects the rule of law as essential for the common good. But as Christians, we must discern when laws are just and whether their enforcement aligns with God’s greater law of love and mercy. St. John XXIII taught us that civil law must reflect the eternal law of God and be rooted in the dignity of the human person. When legal enforcement leads to widespread human suffering-tearing families apart, leaving children orphaned, and driving people into deeper poverty-we must question whether such actions are truly just or merciful. In the context of mass deportations, the Church has consistently taught that blanket expulsions fail to meet Catholic criteria for justice and charity. Immigration is not merely a technical issue but a profoundly human one. Many who cross borders without proper documentation do so out of dire necessity, and their dignity must be our foremost concern. Catholic teaching insists on a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable. Pope Pius XII, reflecting on the plight of refugees after World War II, declared that human beings have a right to migrate to safeguard their lives and families. He warned against policies that reduce people to statistics while ignoring their suffering. Similarly, Pope Benedict XVI reminded us that migrants are not numbers but brothers and sisters in search of a better life. The truth is this: no mass deportation effort has ever satisfied Catholic criteria for justice, human dignity, and the common good. Such actions inevitably cause greater harm than good, especially to the vulnerable. For this reason, I must say, yes, in this case, everyone stays-not because laws do not matter, but because laws that inflict grave harm without remedy are not aligned with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not Catholic guilt; it is Catholic conviction. We are compelled to stand with the immigrant, not against them. Our role as Christians is to build bridges of solidarity and advocate for humane and practical solutions to migration, ensuring both the safety of nations and the dignity of every human being. May this reflection inspire us to act with the courage of our faith and the compassion of Christ.

[@TedSeeber]

​@@chrisbiddle3674Mass immigration, mass migration, is also inherently injust. Just ask the family of Linken Riley, or any given kidnapped child being sold into a brothel in your diocese.

[@JimWVa-2023]

Treason.

[@TedSeeber]

@@chrisbiddle3674 there is also injustice in abandoning the needs of your neighbor in favor of an invader.

[@Jimboken1]

The US bishops know what side their bread is buttered. And Pope Francis has become a geopolitical joke, sadly.

[@Kirin2022]

That is sick cynicism unbefitting of a Christian. Pope Francis needs to have a more realistic view of immigration (as many Eastern European prelates have pointed out), but the USCCB has nuanced it properly. Jeb Bush's proposal mirrored the USCCB position the most closely among all the 2016 presidential candidates (without Clinton's pandering either), a position that balances justice and mercy, recognizing each nation's right to border control while providing both solutions humane AND rational for handling immigration pressures. Jeb Bush researched, thought, and prayed on it; Trump just spouts prejudices and plays on fears.

[@JimWVa-2023]

Isn’t it written somewhere that the love of money is….what?

[@Jonathan-l4s]

Pope Francis is an anti-pope.

[@jmlark18]

There is no valid entity as "pope Francis" ,There is an entity called cardinal Bergolio posing as a pope. The last true pope died at the end of 2022.

[@ggarza]

While it’s true that Catholic Bishops in North America have generally been supportive of large migrant populations of from which they stood to benefit, there is one difference that distinguishes the past from today. The bishops in North America and their Non Governmental Organizations stand to financially benefit directly from payments of hundreds of millions of dollars each year by the US Government to assist and support these large migrant populations that are streaming into North America unchecked and unidentified. I think that it’s fair to say because of the imbalance of Government funding that the Bishops receive from government sources that at this point the Catholic Church in North America is a migrant services organization that also conducts religious activities. This helps to explain and contextualize the closing of Catholic Churches entirely during the pandemic. The Bishops could afford to shut down their religious activities because of the huge subsidies that they had received and still are receiving to facilitate the movement of and care for the millions of migrants streaming over the border each year. So, naturally they are going to oppose anything that would jeopardize their primary source of funding. “No one can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or be attached to the first and despise the second. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.” Matthew 6:24 NJB

[@paperclip612]

Absolutely 💯, a total SCAM.

[@sA-ny2jl]

And these people are coming with no paperwork on either end. We don't know how many have been kidnapped by human trafficking or been killed by the cartels. That is heartless and cruel. All they have to do instead is request that the quotas per country be increased. Then people can come Safely and lawfully and not have to be in this country in fear all the time of the law. Also when people come legally there is NO BURDEN placed on the taxpayers. Each immigrant is required to have a sponsor who will help them and provide for them. These past 4 yrs has put at risk resources for homeless, elderly, veterans, families with young children. All vulnerable groups in need esp in today's economy. Gangs, criminals, terrorists, deadly drugs, human trafficking is what we have gotten out of the last 4 years of this.

[@LostArchivist]

Do you have any faith at all? No faithful Catholic one should listen to someone who so readily undermines the faith of others and causes the sheep to mistrust their shepherds as is either a presupposition or a logical conclusion if one follows this very slanderous and uncharitable comment. It is presuming intent based on an unproven premise and engaging in judging others hearts based solely on an idle speculation attempting to justify a rash and highly scandalizing judgement.

[@Pacdoc-Oz]

@@LostArchivist So St Paul was not a faithful Catholic? Do you have no sense at all?

[@LostArchivist]

@@Pacdoc-Oz What do you mean? I did not say anything about Saint Paul.

[@sheilatobin6491]

Puerto Ricans are US citizens.

[@joelfrombethlehem]

Since 1917

[@nildarodriguez3974]

That means the Bishops are breaking the law. Illegal imigration is a crime. That speaks volumes about each bishop fighting Trump on this issue.

[@glorybe7500]

Amen

[@angelamalek]

Exactly right! How is it a charity to these people to harbor them until ICE comes to deport them? I also don’t find it a good idea to divide the American church into English speaking and Spanish speaking with separate Masses. How is that helping them to integrate into our Church? We should be Catholic first, ethnicity second.

[@Kirin2022]

Don't be silly. They are calling our politicians to accountability. We are morally obligated to resist evil laws that defy natural and divine law. Defective laws and policies are not to America's advantage or America's good; politicians are supposed to fix them (from abuse of asylum laws to cruelty built into otherwise justifiable policy implementation). The bishops even have a plan that respects the right to border control as well as the human rights of those who must be sent back or made to go to the back of the line unless they have a _valid_ asylum claim. Their refusal to listen and act in favor of BOTH justice AND compassion will risk their eternal salvation.

[@sA-ny2jl]

It is even more than a crime. These people are coming with no paperwork on either end. We don't know how many have been kidnapped by human trafficking or been killed by the cartels. That is heartless and cruel. All they have to do instead is request that the quotas per country be increased. Then people can come Safely and lawfully and not have to be in this country in fear all the time of the law.

[@LostArchivist]

Better crime than sin if it comes to needing to choose between them.😊 But I do not think there is that here, there is more saber rattling than substance in that claim.

[@fredsimon6640]

Immigration is the Bishops cash cow.

[@patcandelora8496]

Why did Francis haves to be cajoled into saying something about the Olympic fiasco? Shouldn’t he have had the sense to do it on his own?🤦🏻‍♂️

[@peterbeaumont7619]

Trumpy,don't listen to these bunch catholic pedifials,they only in it for the money.They don't care about America.Wake up Trumpy don't allow them to control you,this s what they will want.As you are well awhere they full of curruprion and very hypocritical .They have already referred to you as evil.😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

[@matthewdecaro8914]

Can Tren de Aragua can set up shop in the bishop's residence?

[@mineola57]

You make comparisons between immigration in the 20’s, 40’s, 50’s and today. You fail to mention that the earlier events dealt with legal immigrants, and that we are now dealing with illegal immigrants. The overall effect of illegal immigration is that of draining the resources of the American people, and putting them at risk with all the violent gangs and criminals. I experience you as disingenuous.

[@Pacdoc-Oz]

Without permission and avoiding seeking permission, crossing the border is trespassing and doing so en-masse is invasion.

[@anng.4542]

John does describe that the legal immigrants of the past, many of them Catholic, who the bishops of the past correctly defended, came here to work and raise their families. Thus they actually strengthened local communities and American society. Unfortunately we also know that today's Democrat party has become a godless, cultural Marxist party, and most of today's bishops are actually registered Democrats.

[@phaedruscj3330]

Exactly! Media elitists like Allen use this slight of hand on legal v illegal immigration because that still have the sads over Trump beating their abortion loving ticket.

[@judyedwards9774]

Our Bishops are getting ridiculous... We have laws to follow .. Apparently they don't care. St.Thomas Aquinas said that a Country has the right to protect its borders.. as who comes in and who does not. Cardinal Sarah said that way before. God Bless him. God Bless everyone..

[@DivergentAntipodean]

Thomas Aquinas called women "misbegotten men". He claimed that a male foetus got a soul at 40 days after conception and a female foetus got a soul at 80 days after. Come on now, are you going to teach that to your mother and sisters and daughters?

[@mariac4602]

@@DivergentAntipodean That's not a logical response to the quote from Aquinas. His theory of male and female souls has nothing to do with the argument put forth by Judy Edwards.

[@Pacdoc-Oz]

To maintain a semblance of Christian orthodoxy, get things right. No council, no pope, no visionary has given us Christian truth. If it was necessary, it corrected error, deviation from or denial of apostolic teaching held as truth up until the time when contradiction became widespread and serious. Vatican II redirected the faithful to eternal truths in the same way.

[@anng.4542]

At least, that's what you've always been told about Vatican II...

[@weirddude6260]

Pro legal immigrants and pro illegal immigrants are two completely different things. The examples you draw from the past were legal immigrants, even US citizens in the case of Puerto Ricans.

[@sophiachavez3377]

It seems the people from Malta entered the USA legally. The Puerto Ricans were not immigrants; they were and are Americans. Neither group can be compared to all those who entered our country illegally.

[@anng.4542]

But it's the bishops that portray the two groups as equivalent.

[@paperclip612]

Catholic Bishops USA, stick to your knitting ( heaven knows, the Catholic Church is in dire need of such)...and leave the administration of the country to the Trump Administration.

[@chesterkuzia7286]

The bishops ought to spend their time removing Francis instead of putting their dirty noses into politics.

[@FunkmeisterX]

Great explainer on US Catholic Bishops vis-à-vis the recent USA Election of 47…

[@ElenaAshe]

The bishops have turned against the faithful by continuing to follow Bergoglio.

[@LostArchivist]

Separation from Heir of Saint Peter is separation from Christ. And to say that somehow there is no heir and the entire Church has been fooled is to say the Holy Spirit has failed to protect the Church and Lord Jesus Christ's promise to Saint Peter is void. And if you are taking a position that leads the entire Magisterium to be on the other side from you. How do you not see you are in the schismatic sect? Look at Church history. Do you think the Donatists, the Lutherans, the Cathars did not think they were any less justified than you do now? You are fleeing from Christ and His Church. Do not continue this way if you value your immortal soul my sister, God is not with you and you are not trusting in Him because you do not trust the system He has given for a secure way to salvation. God does not sow rebellion much less against His own shepherds He Himself holds accountable.

[@DivergentAntipodean]

@@LostArchivist Shut up, dinosaur. You sound just like the priests that told women they could not have a hysterectomy because birth control was forbidden. Read the Scriptures - Matthew 10:34-36 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. "

[@lawrencerockwood7623]

A day late and a dollar short.

[@ricksavaiano5640]

LEGAL and controlled immigration is good, not the current situation. Also, the country was much smaller in those years you described. It would be imprudent not to address all of the people who came to this country in violation of the laws of this sovereign nation.

[@christophergoess4553]

Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar ie: immigration laws and to God the things that are Gods’. When laws are broken and there are no consequences, who is to say what other laws could be broken and have no consequences. You object to a law, don’t break it, advocate for its change. In a civil society that should be the outcome not lawlessness! God bless America 🇺🇸

[@paperclip612]

EXACTLY.

[@James-fk2ki]

Instead the Bishops should have made arrangements for illegal immigrants to enter the US LEGALLY

[@josephpearson2230]

12:27 Nicaea is present-day Iznik, Turkey. Smyrna is present-day Izmir, Turkey.

[@Pacdoc-Oz]

Precisely. The entire Middle East that converted to Christianity and is named in the Epistles is now under the tyranny of Islam.

[@russellking1924]

Of course, there’s a file with the name Orlandi on it. I didn’t think there wouldn’t be. She went missing in Vatican City so there could be criminals on the loose in Vatican City. Does this mean the Catholic Church is to blame? Not necessarily. Marcinkus gave Pietro a job at the Vatican Bank. Did Pietro retire or was he let go because his investigation was getting too close for comfort for some? I’d like to see some solid evidence.

[@paperclip612]

Me to.

[@tomredd9025]

I fully expected a better understanding of this issue from Mr. Allen. We are not talking about "migrants." As Christians we have a duty to help strangers who are in need. We instead are talking about persons who illegally broke into our home, that is our nation, for their own economic needs. They did not follow our laws and are stealing resources that should go to persons in need in our own home. The examples, Mr. Allen gave were all legal immigrants and simply don't apply and in fact feeds the frustration that the nation feels with the conflation of legal immigration with illegal activity. The elite, and this includes the bishops, who engineered this great theft are morally responsible. Although I cannot judge individuals, however, as a group the elite and the bishops will be held to account before the Great Throne for the damage they did to our nation, and I might add most importantly to the illegal immigrants who they encouraged to flaunts our laws, often tragically. At least 12 million persons invaded our nation in violation of our reasonable and moral laws that an immigrant should be vetted and approved. 12 million! This is one of the great invasions in history. The Catholic bishop have a strong moral and pastoral duty to assist the government in deporting this invasion. They can help do it in a way that again is pastoral and minimizes the suffering to the illegal immigrants and to the nation that the bishops were so very complicit in causing. In this way, they may help to expunge their own collective guilt. God Bless you all.

[@ginniej48]

I couldn’t agree more, We pray for these bishops who have continued to abuse their authority, it’s not looking good, especially for the church. They will bring a chastisement upon us

[@hungrywallaby]

False equivalency, they are literally NOT breaking into private homes. That would be like using your bathroom, the saying they pissed all over you property. The belief that they are taking resources away from citizens is ridiculous bigotry-- how can the government provide services to people it doesn't know exist They do have the tight to pick fruit and harvest crops for a fraction if the wage a citizen finds demeaning. People are being denied the legal right to be considered refugees and a fair hearing in a reasonable time, which is illegal. Jesus teaches to give compassion to those in need, not to separate children from their families. But then again, Jesus was a criminal executed by the State.

[@DivergentAntipodean]

There was a time when my nation was doing well, prosperous and peaceful. I want policies back to the way they were before, when it was going well. Am I guilty of far Right wing thinking or simply middle of the road Conservative - if it ain't broke, then don't fix it?

[@joachimjustinmorgan4851]

The Pope was not at the original council of Nicaea. In keeping with tradition, he should skip this one as well.

[@angelamalek]

Kissy Fernandez with his books on sexual mysticism wants to head up a committee on what??

[@brianotoole7043]

Another reason for the meeting of Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew is settling the date of Easter(Gregorian calendar v Julian calendar) possibly.

[@damienparoski2033]

You make it sound like Fr. Charles Coughlin was a conservitive, but he was actually more liberal than President Roosevelt and thought that the New Deal was to Capitalistic and right wing. Maybe you should clarify history a bit better in your videos.

[@deirdresinsights]

what about separation of church and state...?? I guess the bishops don't have anything better to do...tend to the flock?? And is it happening yet....?

[@rgregoryful]

Where in ANY of our founding documents does it declare the separation of Church and State? Give you a hint.......they do not.

[@annefalola9278]

So John, migrants should be treated like outcasts? I can’t get this rattling…

[@sophiachavez3377]

Illegals are criminals and should be treated as the outcasts they are. If they are so persecuted in their own countries and so mistreated, how do they get the money to get to the USA???

[@ElenaAshe]

You mean the illegal aliens?

[@paperclip612]

Let's be clear ILLEGAL entrants - quite different to Legal Migrants.

[@Pacdoc-Oz]

In Europe, whenever there has been a crisis the citizens stay in place and endure the hardships and fight and strive to fix the problem and restore their homeland to law and order and peace and prosperity. The people of Central and South America flee and leave failed states under dictators. I wonder if that is because last century the USA government and business and CIA interfered with so many things in so many ways? As you sow, so shall you reap?

[@charleswilliams8847]

Allen confuses support for immigration and immigrants with encouraging those who violate immigration laws to defy the law.

[@mikeschnobrich1807]

Shouldn't we guard against easy virtue.

[@jamesgigliotti1099]

Sie, the Maltese, Puerto Ricans and Mexican immigrants you refer to came through our legal process. You leave out that important, even crucial detail. Surely the Bishop’s Conference is not in favor of breaking our Laws. They should be spending their energies helping them apply for entrance in the civil code of the USA.

[@enricomascolo7481]

Wasting of time to listen this gentleman,

[@stevegal954]

the Maltese immigrants entered the US legally.

[@rgregoryful]

The Treaty of Paris in 1898 made Puerto Rico a US. Territory, therefore Puerto Ricans are US citizens and can never be cited as immigrants or migrants. Population transfers have happened MANY times between groups of US citizens. This is 100% lawful and expected. The issue with illegal immigration, is that one is breaking the law to gain access to another's country. If we worship a just GOD, then justice must be served. We also know that many countries have gathered the bottom 6% of their own populations, meaning the near do wells and criminals and sent them to America, which puts law abiding innocents at risk. That is not a Catholic tenant. The Catechism is very clear, that foreigners MUST abide by the laws of their new country, and that EVERY country MUST be in control of their own border. Emotionalism is much too effeminate for my taste. Countries should rule by law, justice and logic.

[@JimWVa-2023]

PuertoRicans were not made citizens in1898. They were made “statutory” citizens in 1917, and/or 1948.

[@CENYSAUZ-s7n]

😊😊😊😊

[@steveempire4625]

Before the US Bishops condemn any immigration policy, I think they need to answer what is the maximum number of illegal immigrants allowed before it is moral to stop it. They also need to answer what is the maximum number of illegal immigrants that can be deported before it becomes immoral. Otherwise, it's condemnation in bad faith. You must be able to teach precisely what the leader is doing wrong and what the leader must do to be in the right.

[@chrisbiddle3674]

The Church doesn’t set maximum numbers for immigration but teaches moral principles: respect human dignity, protect families, and promote the common good. Immigration policies become immoral when they dehumanize people, separate families, or neglect justice. The Bishops' critique isn't about politics-it's about upholding Gospel values.

[@steveempire4625]

@@chrisbiddle3674 Without a moral criterion, how do you know those things didn't happen under Trump but did happen under Biden? Or, that they both didn't happen? Or they did occur under both? Or how do we know other nations are on the right track? How do you resist a policy without a standard? How do you judge a man's policy as a sin or virtue without an absolute scale?

[@steveempire4625]

@@chrisbiddle3674 How do you know whether the current policy respects those moral principles without a statistical moral standard? like, maybe it's already the case. The bishops are making harsh judgments without telling our leaders what they must do specifically to be on the right side of the moral law. Without a moral equation of the foreign-born percentage of the population, immigration rate per capita, asylum seekers per capita, how can you possibly know if the US is #1 or on the bottom?

[@paperclip612]

And by the way, is the Catholic Church going to recompense the US Government for the upkeep of said illegal immigrants and recompense all those who spent time and money following Us immigration rules?????

[@chrisbiddle3674]

@@steveempire4625 At its core, the Church teaches that morality is grounded in principles rather than numbers. Human dignity, the unity of families, and the pursuit of the common good are qualitative benchmarks that transcend statistics. Each person is created in the image and likeness of God, and their worth cannot be reduced to a mere metric. When evaluating policies, the Church does not ask, “How many?” but rather, “How are these people being treated?” Policies fail morally when they dehumanize individuals, separate families, or neglect justice-regardless of the number of people affected. Even without a numerical standard, we can examine specific policies to see if they align with these principles. A humane immigration policy ensures that people are treated with respect, families are kept together, and justice balances the needs of migrants and the receiving nation. For example, the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy drew criticism for separating families and violating the dignity of migrants. Under the Biden administration, while some policies have sought to address these issues, other concerns persist, such as overwhelmed facilities and the handling of deportations. The Church’s critique applies to both, focusing on the morality of actions rather than political affiliation. You raised the question of how we evaluate policies without an absolute scale or a statistical moral standard. While numbers can reveal trends, morality requires more than data; it demands context. A policy might deport thousands of people in a just and compassionate way, or it might deport only a handful in ways that are cruel and unjust. The Church assesses the how and why of a policy, not just the how many. The Gospel provides the ultimate standard: we are called to love our neighbors and welcome the stranger. These values guide the Church’s response to immigration policies across the board. Prudence also plays a vital role here. This cardinal virtue requires careful discernment, especially in complex situations. While the Church cannot set universal quotas, it does call on leaders to evaluate their nation’s capacity to welcome and integrate migrants, to weigh the urgency of migrants’ needs, and to ensure laws are implemented justly. The goal is not open borders, but policies that reflect both compassion and justice. It’s entirely possible for an immigration policy to respect moral principles, but such policies must undergo constant scrutiny. If current policies reduce suffering, uphold human dignity, and protect families, they may be morally acceptable. However, if they dehumanize migrants, cause unnecessary harm, or fail to address systemic issues, they fall short of the Gospel’s demands. The Church’s role here is not to condemn governments outright but to challenge them to do better, acting as a prophetic voice for justice and mercy. The same principles the Church applies in the United States also hold universally. Wealthier nations, by virtue of their resources, bear a greater responsibility to receive migrants. Poorer nations may legitimately limit migration if it threatens their stability. All nations, however, are called to address the root causes of migration, such as poverty, corruption, and violence, so that migration is driven by opportunity rather than necessity. Ultimately, the Church’s teaching isn’t about numbers but about people. Human dignity is infinite, and moral evaluation transcends statistics. The Gospel provides the absolute standard by which all policies and actions are judged. By focusing on these principles, the Church seeks to uphold justice and mercy for all, ensuring that every person is treated with the respect and care they deserve. Thank you for inviting such a deep discussion, and I hope this explanation provides clarity.

[@beegum1]

"False Mysticism." Well, I don't think I'm a false mystic, was my first thought, and one of the reasons to be careful. In the post-modern world getting people involved in the Church is a miracle in its own right, lol, much like the Synod on Synodality, this seems like something to be concerned more with in the young Church in places across, such as, Africa. In places where mystics may get something substantial for being a mystic... other than weird looks and a long path toward open respect. Anyway, it seems like, in general, you'd hope it wouldn't be so wide spread that you couldn't contain the crime, but I could see where in impoverished areas it could be the case where, despite all that, it's necessary to make such a definition.

[@beegum1]

Imagine the difference between a beginner mystic and a good mystic or bad mystic is friendship with a bishop, I'm not really sure how such things 'normally' occur whilst resisting the very idea of a normal path, lol.

[@beegum1]

I'm just thinking out my two cents on this, in addition to the other known mystics who are accused of making mistakes, themselves, choosing Mass times or whatever... avoiding that failure (of prosecuting them) as well...

[@TedSeeber]

I TRIED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SYNOD AND WAS REFUSED.

[@beegum1]

@@TedSeeber Oh. What are your thoughts on it. It was difficult for me, as a US Catholic to see how it does much than portray our methodology in a way for the young Church to adopt as it's primary objective. It may seem like an over reach over here, but, on the other hand, it's a wonder if we can get people to participate in the first place, lol. The young Church is encouraged to reach out to the faithful, especially women, to assist in the day to day life of the Church. I think that that is a good summary. What do you think?

[@TedSeeber]

​@@beegum1my response was very orthodox and much more about the big issue of the time, the denial of sacraments while bars were open during COVID. And the obvious theological implications of a church that continues to water down the sacraments.

[@oceanscaper]

We must welcome the stranger…..but not if they are stranger than Pope Francis i.e. careless of our border laws like Pope Francis is careless of the Holy Spirit affirming the death penalty in Romans 13:4.

[@claudiaburnside9751]

Blah, blah. blah, they ( Tucho) just want to do away with mysticism. That was his recommendation about Medjugorge.

[@gerardmcgorian7070]

"The Nicene Creed we recite each Sunday...". Not quite. As we know, the original Nicene Creed does not contain the Filioque Clause. I don't say it on Sundays as part of the Creed; I know other Catholics who don't say it, including, yes, on occasion, Pope Francis. Hint, hint: And the Pope won't be saying the Filioque when he recites the Nicene Creed with the Patriarch. 😉

[@chrisbiddle3674]

Always a favorite subject for stirring the ecumenical pot! You seem to relish pointing out its absence in the original Creed. Are you suggesting the Latin Church is somehow in error for retaining it in the liturgy? Or perhaps you’re hinting that the Church might be better served by bowing to Orthodox sensitivities on this point? Let’s be clear: the Filioque isn’t just some random addition-it’s a profound doctrinal affirmation of the shared divinity and unity within the Holy Trinity. The Latin Church’s inclusion of it reflects a legitimate theological development, clarified at length by councils and great theologians like St. Augustine. True, the Creed is recited without the Filioque in certain ecumenical contexts, but this doesn’t amount to a rejection of the clause-it’s an act of pastoral sensitivity and a gesture of goodwill. Are you merely advocating for unity, or are you implying that we should revise our liturgy wholesale to accommodate the East? The Church embraces dialogue, but she does so from a position of confidence in her faith, not as a capitulation to historical disputes. If you believe the Filioque is a barrier to unity, fair enough-many share your concern-but remember: unity cannot come at the cost of truth. If you truly seek to align with the Pope’s vision of fraternity, you might consider a tone less suggestive and more constructive. Otherwise, one might wonder if your intentions lean more toward stirring division than fostering reconciliation.

[@gerardmcgorian7070]

@@chrisbiddle3674 "...better served by bowing to Orthodox sensitivities on this point." Well, you're certainly not interested in fostering reconciliation with inherently bigoted and nigh on racist dreck like that. "The Latin Church in error?" Get serious? Was it "in error" when it said torture was just fine? Was it "in error" when it used slaves to help build Georgetown? Was it "in error" when it was burning witches (and saints!) at the stake? It's 2024; your trad nonsense has had it's day. See you on the Synodal Path! 😊

[@mvill9898]

Is that what the lesser evil mean?

[@joyeevellattukara1583]

No voice

[@marshalldarcy7423]

The immigration issue is feeding right wing agenda across the United States and Europe and this effect could get much worse. Nationalism has to be seen in the context of the sacrifice that many in a Nation have done and will do. Nationalism has to be seen in the context of ""The last full measure of devotion"" as noted by Abraham Lincoln, though Christian sentiment it eludes too. Immigration is usually a running from problems, as was the case of the Pilgrim Fathers, but even given this running from problems does not solve problems. One has to have an allegiance to the inherent '''Good"" of a nation, which immigrants usually do not have for obvious reasons.

[@frederiquecouture3924]

.

[@patcandelora8496]

I’ve heard it said that spellman was a, well let’s just say he was a little lite in the loafers.

[@beegum1]

On the other hand, I see something quite ugly, I have some insight into... well... we'll see how that darkness works out in the coming decades.

[@sophiachavez3377]

???

[@beegum1]

@@sophiachavez3377 His examples of fake mysticism are dark enough without looking too deeply into the depth of depravity humanity is capable of.

[@chadbailey3623]

Go bishops go!

[@sergesavard636]

Yeah go away....

[@Arizona_Bert]

"First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me." German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller (1892-1984)

[@nicolamcostello]

How about Cesar Chavez, who was against illegal immigration because he saw the negative impact it had on American worker's wages? kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXmUlGOZnLSFd5I

[@marietta1335]

Exactly! Thank you for reminding us of Cesar Charvez. God bless you.