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Pope Leo XIV Calls for Compassionate Unity and Justice

June 2, 2025

(beeboys / Shutterstock.com)

From the Office for Social Ministry

“In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalizes the poorest. For our part, we want to be a small leaven of unity, communion and fraternity within the world.” - Pope Leo XIV, homily, May 18, 2025

In his first homily as Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV offered a heartfelt message about being a loving Church in missionary service and inclusive unity. Addressing more than 200,000 Jubilee year pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square, he reminded all that the Church should not be about power, but about walking in fraternal compassion with others, especially those who are suffering and vulnerable. In a recent letter to Congress, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) echoed Pope Leo XIV’s message by urging passage of a budget that "truly supports the flourishing of families, without harming the poorest and most vulnerable… including our immigrant brothers and sisters, and our environment.” The letter was signed by bishops elected to chair six of the most important committees in the USCCB. Some of their key concerns include:

Care for the poor.  The U.S. Bishops point to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation report that says the current budget bill “will raise income taxes on the working poor while simultaneously providing a large tax cut for the wealthy.” By giving tax breaks to the rich, the current budget bill cuts essential services like Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act coverage and SNAP benefits for food assistance. According to the Congressional Budget Office, “the combined health provisions of the bill will cause more than 13 million people to lose their health insurance and the changes to SNAP will mean that millions will go hungry.”

Adequate revenue and avoiding future cuts to poverty programs. The USCCB letter notes that the House passed budget package is projected to add nearly $3 trillion to the deficit over ten years. The US bishops state that “The poor should not be the ones to finance these changes, now or in the future.” The bishops argue “that the bill should be fixed so that the risks taken fall on those who stand to benefit most rather than on those who struggle on the margins of society.”

Inclusion of immigrant families. The US. Bishops are also concerned that the legislation will “double down on an unsustainable enforcement-only approach to immigration, while unjustly placing immigrant and mixed-status families at a profound disadvantage.” These provisions penalize families fleeing persecution, many of whom follow legal pathways. The U.S. Bishops “are also deeply concerned about the unprecedented levels of mandatory funding that would escalate enforcement far beyond the legitimate goals of promoting public safety and bringing to justice those who commit crimes.“ This stands in direct contradiction to what Pope Francis wrote to the U.S. bishops shortly before his passing and which the bishops repeat in their letter. “An authentic rule of law is verified precisely in the dignified treatment that all people deserve, especially the poorest and most marginalized…What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly.”

Rolling back environmental protections. Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ ecological encyclical Laudato Si’, the USCCB is also concerned that the budget bill proposes a $500 billion cut to clean energy programs that would deeply affect low-income and rural families especially in areas prone to natural disasters. The US Bishops letter also expressed their alarm about the claim “This bill makes it harder for clean energy companies to operate and create good jobs. Removing environmental review requirements from permitting and processes will hinder good stewardship.”

While federal leaders debate budget proposals, in Hawaii there is much work being done at the local level to meet the needs of Hawaii’s most vulnerable populations and to steward community resources responsibly.  For example, HOPE Services Hawaii is developing transitional “respite” housing for houseless kupuna, partnering with hospitals and parishes to provide medical care and transitional shelter through their street medicine outreach teams. Others in Hawaii are focusing on addressing the increasing crisis of food security in families through parish food ministries collaboration with island-wide organizations working to meet growing hunger in their community. The Diocese Office for Social Ministry (OSM) offers support for these efforts through CRS Rice Bowl mini-grants from monies collected during Lent to provide nutritious food to families in need. OSM also has supported the UH Law school in providing legal services to migrants and refugees on neighboring islands and Catholic Charities Hawaii recently hired an immigration attorney in Oahu to assist in the needs of vulnerable migrant populations.  

Our Creator, the Gospel and religious leaders are calling all to live their faith through actions, including working for justice with budgets placing people before profits, families before fear, and creation before convenience. For more on the USCCB’s speaking out about the US budget debate, please visit their website www.usccb.org. For more on HOPE Services Hawaii, Catholic Charities Hawaii and OSM, please visit www.hopeserviceshawaii.org, www.catholiccharitieshawaii.org  and www.officeforsocialministry.org  Let’s continue this Jubilee year striving to be Pilgrims of Hope by responding to Pope Leo XIV’s first messages calling all to be “a small leaven of fraternity within the world.” Mahalo.