On US immigration, Pope invites “deep reflection”

Pope Leo responded to reporters who asked about the immigration situation in the United States, calling for "deep reflection" in light of Matthew's Gospel, and urging that the "spiritual rights" of migrants be respected.

The Pope again made his departure from Castel Gandolfo for his Tuesday "rest day" an opportunity for a small press conference, as he greeted the faithful and reporters outside the gates.

In addition to the US immigration situation, he also spoke of increasing tensions with Venezuela, the situation in the Middle East, workers' dignity in light of a tower collapse in Rome, and the trial of Marco Rupnik, a priest accused of the spiritual and sexual abuse of several women.

You can watch all 6 minutes of the interchange below. He speaks in English about the immigration situation, starting around moment 3:30. And also in English about Fr. Rupnik, starting around moment 5.

The Holy Father was asked about migrants being detained in the US, and the possibility of them making a "spiritual communion" in the absence of being able to receive the Eucharist.

The Pope responded by saying that "in the first place" the Church's role is to "preach the gospel," noting that recently the Gospel proclaimed at Mass was Matthew’s chapter 25, "in which Jesus says very clearly that at the end of the world we will be asked, 'How did you receive the foreigner? Did you receive him and welcome him or not?' And I think that there is a deep reflection that needs to be made in terms of what’s happening."

He continued:

"Many people who have lived many, many years never causing problem have been deeply affected by what’s going on right now. The spiritual rights of the people who have been detained should also be considered and I would certainly invite the authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to the needs of those people. Many times they’ve been separate from their families and no one knows what’s happening."

A reporter from EWTN spoke about the situation of the Rupnik case, specifically about the places where his artwork is still displayed despite the accusations against him.

The Pope responded that it is an issue about which the Vatican is aware. He then pointed out that the judges for the trial have recently been appointed. (The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith announced a few weeks ago that five judges were appointed for the canonical trial on 9 October 9, 2025.)

"Processes for justice take a long time," the Pope said. "I know it is very difficult for the victims to ask that they be patient, but the Church needs to respect the rights of all people. The principle of 'innocent until proven guilty' is also true within the Church, and hopefully this trial that is just beginning will be able to bring some clarity and justice to all those involved."

Speaking in Italian, the Pope responded to a question about the tensions surrounding Venezuela, which the journalist described as a new "Cold War."

While acknowledging a country's right to "have a military to defend itself and build peace," the Pope expressed concern about this situation, saying he was just reading a report about it a few minutes before. "I think that we cannot win with violence. The thing is to seek dialogue and find the right way to solve the problems that exist in any country."

Regarding the Middle East, the Pope expressed guarded hope and encouragement:

The Vatican announced on Tuesday that later this week, on Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be received by Pope Leo XIV.

The 90-year-old Palestinian leader, who met with Pope Francis on December 12, 2024, will meet the new pontiff for the first time, having spoken with him by telephone on July 21.