Pope Leo's first encyclical: Faith means defending migrants

Pope Leo XIV placed the poor at the center of the Catholic Church's mission in his first major document as pontiff, urging bishops worldwide to champion social justice and defend migrants and the vulnerable.Why it matters: The pope's call to defend "the least of these" thrusts the church at the forefront of global debates on inequality and migration, even as the Trump administration steps up immigration raids. The big picture: The move echoes his predecessor, Pope Francis, who tied faith to social action, and a signal the new pope sees moral leadership in championing the poor, despite pushback from conservative Catholics like Vice President JD Vance.Driving the news: In "Dilexi te" (I have loved you), Leo called for global support for immigrants, invoking the late Pope Francis' rebuke of Trump-era immigration crackdowns."The Church, like a mother, accompanies those who are walking," the pontiff wrote. "She knows that in every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community.""No Christian can regard the poor simply as a societal problem; they are part of our 'family,'" he continued. "They are "'one of us.'"The document was signed on Oct. 4 but released by the Vatican on Thursday.Zoom in: Leo spent a significant portion of the encyclical on immigrants and refugees."The experience of migration accompanies the history of the People of God," he wrote. "Mary and Joseph flee with the child Jesus to Egypt. Christ himself, who 'came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him'... lived among us as a stranger. For this reason, the Church has always recognized in migrants a living presence of the Lord."The intrigue: Leo also sent a separate message Thursday to Catholic Charities USA, praising its work with migrants and urging members to keep serving as "agents of hope" despite a federal funding freeze."I encourage you, then, to continue helping the communities who receive these newly arrived brothers and sisters to be living witnesses of hope, recognizing that they have an intrinsic human dignity and are invited to participate fully in community life," he said.Zoom out: Over the past month, Leo has stepped up his calls to welcome migrants — especially in his native U.S., where the Trump administration has ramped up deportations.Vance gave Leo a letter with the president's and First Lady Melania Trump's "warm wishes" and an invitation to the White House. The letter was delivered during Leo's inauguration Mass in May.

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