Welcome the stranger with hope

OUR FAITH CALLS US TO SEE IN EVERY PERSON THE IMAGE OF GOD, and to welcome the stranger as we would welcome Christ Himself. In these times, when so many families and individuals are displaced by war, poverty, or persecution, the Church must be a beacon of compassion and justice.

The Scriptures speak with clarity and urgency about our responsibility toward immigrants and sojourners. In Leviticus 19:33–34, the Lord commands: “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” This is not a suggestion but a divine mandate. We are reminded that our own history as a nation is marked by migration, and that God’s people have always been called to extend hospitality.

Read the full message HERE.

Photo credit: "Be Welcoming," a bronze sculpture of a traveler by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz, is seen in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican April 15, 2025. (CNS photo/Justin McLellan)