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The Pope Has Spoken

"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:40 

According to YouTube, NPR, Wikipedia, and other news outlets, recent statements by Pope Leo XIV are a wake-up call for any Catholic who identifies as conservative. Not only should his statements apply to conservative Catholics, but also to all conservatives. What exactly did Pope Leo XIV say that led me, by God's direction, to make his words part of today's Discipleship Devotional? Pope Leo XIV recently and sharply criticized the treatment of immigrants, particularly U.S. immigration policies, as "inhuman" and not truly "pro-life". That's correct, the first American pope has made the treatment of migrants a significant focus of his papacy, continuing the advocacy of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who died in April 2025. 

Pope Leo was recently quoted as saying, "Someone who says I'm against abortion but is in favor of the death penalty is not really pro-life," Pope Leo continued, "And someone who says I'm against abortion but I'm in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don't know if that's pro-life." 

Are you OK with the treatment of immigrants in this country? According to Pope Leo, if you take a hard stand against abortion, you should take a hard stand against the unlawful treatment of immigrants in America. If not, then there's something seriously wrong with that picture. Jesus Christ himself was an immigrant, and he clearly equated welcoming a stranger with welcoming him. "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?" "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sister of mine, you did for me.' Matthew  25:35-39

As you prepare for what life has in store for you today, remember the words of President Barack Obama, who said, "A child on the other side of the border is no less worthy of love and compassion than my own child." Pray for America's conscience and compassion. Do what you can to demonstrate an America that cares about all people and is committed to treating all people fairly.  

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