Pope Leo XIV sends message to interfaith immigration summit

Pope Leo XIV sent a message of support to an interfaith immigration policy summit on Oct. 29. The virtual summit, hosted by the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), runs through Oct. 30.

The event brings together scholars, legal practitioners, advocates, and faith leaders from Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant traditions to identify commonalities in their service to immigrant communities. In his message, the pope thanked CLINIC and various church communities for working to uphold the dignity of refugees and migrants. He expressed concern that vulnerable people are often placed in situations where their human rights are stripped away and encouraged participants to help citizens overcome indifference toward these individuals.

Anna Gallagher, executive director of CLINIC, described the pope's message as a meaningful charge for the start of the gathering. She stated that the summit serves as an opportunity for participants to learn from one another and strengthen their work to help communities respond more faithfully to those in need.