{"id":62470,"date":"2025-11-24T15:53:05","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T14:53:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uccronline.it\/eng\/?p=62470"},"modified":"2025-11-24T15:54:26","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T14:54:26","slug":"the-church-defends-migrants-but-also-national-borders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uccronline.it\/eng\/2025\/11\/24\/the-church-defends-migrants-but-also-national-borders\/","title":{"rendered":"The Church Defends Migrants, But Also National Borders"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"church<\/p>\n

The Church\u2019s balanced<\/strong> position upholds the dignity of migrants<\/strong> while also affirming the right to regulate migration flows<\/strong> and protect national borders.<\/i><\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

The thinking of the Church<\/strong> is far more nuanced than the ideological frameworks of right and left.<\/p>\n

Tensions surrounding the issue of migration<\/strong><\/mark> are a daily matter, and the Church is often labeled by the political right as being \u201caligned with the left\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

But does this flattening toward one political side really exist?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Leo XIV: \u201cThe right to protect borders\u201d<\/h2>\n

Yet on Tuesday, Leo XIV<\/b> invoked<\/a><\/em><\/strong> \u201cthe right of every country to determine who, how and when people enter,\u201d<\/i> while siding with the U.S. bishops who oppose the \u201cextremely disrespectful\u201d<\/i> treatment of migrants.<\/p>\n

He used almost identical words at the end of October in his address to popular movements, stating<\/a><\/em><\/strong>: \u201cStates have the right and the duty to protect their borders<\/strong>, but this should be balanced by the moral obligation<\/strong> to provide refuge\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pope Francis: \u201cPrudence \u2014 better not to receive\u201d<\/h2>\n

Many may believe this is something new, yet another innovation of Leo XIV<\/strong>. But that is not the case.<\/p>\n

If anything, Pope Francis<\/strong> was even more direct when he said<\/a><\/em><\/strong> that \u201ca people that can accept but does not have the possibility of integrating, is better not accepting<\/strong>\u201d<\/i>. And that \u201cjoined to the right of being able to emigrate\u201d<\/i> Francis explained<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, \u201cas well as the right to not be constrained to emigratethe right not to have to migrate\u201d<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Also because, as he added<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, \u201cwe are not able<\/strong> to open our doors in an irrational way.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

These and other statements by Francis can be found in our dedicated dossier<\/a><\/em><\/strong> (in Italian).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The clash between Trump and the American bishops<\/h2>\n

The election of the new leadership of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops<\/strong> (USCCB) has highlighted the richness of Church thought beyond common clich\u00e9s.<\/p>\n

The newly elected president of the American bishops, the Archbishop of Oklahoma City, Paul Coakley<\/strong>, is considered a figure of \u201cpolitical conservatism<\/strong>,\u201d and yet, while supporting the near-total ban on abortion in Oklahoma, he has repeatedly opposed the inhuman treatment of migrants<\/strong> carried out by the American government.<\/p>\n

In fact, immediately after his election, he led the episcopal conference to renew the confrontation on immigration, expressing unanimously<\/a><\/em><\/strong> (216 votes in favor, 5 against and 3 abstentions) strong concern<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Thus, the issue is not right vs left<\/strong>, nor can it be reduced to a simple \u201cwelcome yes \/ welcome no.\u201d The Church\u2019s position is complex, balanced, and rooted in the dignity of the person, the legitimacy of the State, and social cohesion.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Church and the Right to Regulate Migration Flows<\/h2>\n

This was explained very clearly by the Catholic philosopher Edward Feser<\/strong>, professor at Pasadena City College, in an article<\/a><\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

After highlighting the excesses of the Trump administration<\/strong> against migrants, which he says should be \u201crightly criticized\u201d<\/i>, Feser reaffirmed the principle of \u201cabusus non tollit usum\u201d<\/i>. In other words, the abuse of a thing does not negate its proper use.<\/p>\n

In fact, the enforcement of immigration laws<\/strong> is legitimate, and the fight against illegal immigration is also supported by the Catholic Catechism<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, which states that hospitality must be offered \u201cto the extent<\/strong> possible\u201d<\/i> and that political authorities \u201cmay subject<\/strong> the exercise of the right to immigrate to various legal conditions, in particular to the duties of immigrants toward the country which receives them.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

In simple terms, the Church recognizes that a nation may impose conditions<\/strong> on immigration, that it is not obliged to welcome everyone who wishes to enter, and that those who are admitted must obey the law.<\/p>\n

Even Saint John Paul II<\/strong> explained<\/a><\/em><\/strong> that \u201cillegal immigration should be prevented,\u201d<\/i> and Benedict XVI<\/strong> added<\/a><\/em><\/strong> that \u201cStates have the right to regulate migration flows<\/strong> and to defend their own frontiers, always guaranteeing the respect due to the dignity<\/strong> of each and every human person\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

The philosopher Edward Feser<\/strong> therefore observes that the Church addresses immigration as an important matter of public policy and does not reduce it<\/strong> merely to \u201ca matter of individual rights<\/strong> and dignity,\u201d<\/i> even though these are important, \u201cbut also of duties<\/strong> toward the common good. From this perspective, the Catholic position on immigration cannot be simplified into a \u2018for\u2019 or \u2018against\u2019 stance.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Need for a Balanced Position<\/h2>\n

The bishops<\/strong>, the philosopher rightly concludes, \u201chave the pastoral duty to acknowledge the concerns of both sides<\/strong>,\u201d<\/i> meaning both those who view welcoming migrants as a primary moral imperative and those who consider it more urgent to preserve the law, order, economic well-being, and cultural identity.<\/p>\n

There is no side that is \u201cmore Catholic\u201d<\/strong> than the other; both are represented in the Church\u2019s social doctrine.<\/p>\n

The task of the faithful, instead, is to \u201cinsist on maintaining the middle path<\/strong>,\u201d<\/i> reaffirming the Christian importance of welcoming the stranger while also adopting a politically prudent and balanced approach.<\/p>\n

Pope Francis<\/strong> made this clear<\/a><\/em><\/strong> when he emphasized the need for a balanced position:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cPrudence<\/strong> on the part of public authorities does not mean enacting policies of exclusion vis-\u00e0-vis migrants, but it does entail evaluating, with wisdom and foresight, the extent to which their country is in a position<\/b>, without prejudice to the common good of citizens, to offer a decent life to migrants, especially those truly in need of protection.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Church holds a balanced position, defending migrants while upholding the right to regulate migration flows and protect national borders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":62471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":15,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2135,2133,2132,2134],"class_list":["post-62470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-catholic-church-immigration","tag-edward-feser","tag-hurch-immigrants","tag-immigrants-church"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Church Defends Migrants, But Also National Borders - UCCR<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Church holds a balanced position, defending migrants while upholding the right to regulate migration flows and protect national borders.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uccronline.it\/eng\/2025\/11\/24\/the-church-defends-migrants-but-also-national-borders\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Church Defends Migrants, But Also National Borders - 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