Enforcement Issue

Relative to “What Can Catholics Expect From Trump 2.0?” (Nation, Jan. 26 edition):

In the article on page 3 of the Jan. 26, 2025, edition, there is a discussion about “Fixing the broken immigration system” (first sentence of the first paragraph on “Immigration”). Note: The laws regarding our immigration system are found in Title VIII of the U.S. Code, and they are reasonable, complete and commonsense laws.

I must respectfully disagree with that allegation. Our immigration system is not broken. It has merely not been enforced, neither during the Biden/Harris administration nor during the Obama/Biden administration.

But Title VIII of the U.S. Code will be vigorously enforced during the Trump/Vance administration, just as it was during the first Trump administration, if not more so.

I am reminded of a comment to the effect that “There is nothing wrong with Christianity. It just has not been tried yet.” [“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” — G.K. Chesterton]

Hampton Scott Tonk

Bradenton, Florida

Keep Championing Life

Regarding your ongoing pro-life coverage:

The pastoral care of the family and the human body, from Leo XIII to Pius XII and Paul VI, is ignored by many; there is a lack, and, consequently, the true announcement about the conception is distorted.

Pius XII expressed to the congresses of Catholic doctors the way forward. On Sept. 29, 1949, he warned them against acts against nature, even if there were technical advances.

The carnal union of the spouses is open to life; replacing it with pipettes manipulated by third parties is an offense to God and to his creatures: man, woman, child.

Let’s point out the sanctity of marriage rather than arguing about pipettes.

Let’s support spouses with subfertility. Let us console the barren spouses.

As a simple baptized person, I thank you for your contribution to the proclamation of the faith, the Word, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and I share with you my hope for the continuation of the beauty of the human conception. Pius XII is very pedagogical in this. God bless you.

Marie Mennesson

Paris, France

Hope in Prison

As someone with 15 years of hands-on experience in prison ministry at county, state and federal institutions, “Bringing Jubilee Hope Behind Bars” (front page, Jan. 12 issue) resonated and prompted what’s below:

Christ, in Matthew 25:31-40, roughly translated, says to one group: “I was in prison and you visited me.”

To another group, he said, “I was in prison and you did not look after me.” He did not reference as to why the imprisonment; just they did or they didn’t.

Christ’s comments compel us to confront the faith we proclaim: Are the imprisoned made in the image of God or is it circumstantial depending on the severity of the crime? The temporal result of the crime can be decades behind bars or death row. Christ does not address this aspect. Christ addresses us.

The article reports amazing transformations taking place among the imprisoned, even those whose return to the outside was precluded. Prison ministry isn’t a requirement to be a Christian.

It is a mistake, however, to think people, me included, are not imprisoned by lifestyles, values, etc., that distort, demean or denigrate our humanity or that of others. Whatever the circumstances, we encounter in life the eternal question, quite literally: Will we enkindle the Divine Spark or snuff it out?

Brad Lena

Franklin, Pennsylvania

Gaza’s Plight

Regarding “Trumpian Rhetoric Seeks to Unravel the Gazan Gordian Knot” (NCRegister.com, Feb. 5, 2025):

It was with great sadness and deep concern that I read Alberto Fernandez’s editorial on President Donald Trump’s statements regarding Gaza. For years I have relied on your website as a source of news focused on Catholic events in the United States and the wider world. Your decision to publish an apparent attempt to gaslight readers such as myself regarding President Trump’s suggestion for the U.S. to seize control of the Gaza Strip and force out its residents is immoral and disturbing.

Trump has made it clear that he wants to see the U.S. in control of Gaza, its local population removed, and the area given or sold to developers. All that has shifted regarding Trump’s plan is the mere mechanism for how the U.S. will take the region and who will be responsible for removing the local population.

What has been suggested by Donald Trump, and which Mr. Fernandez seemingly wants us to overlook, is that the current president of the United States is advocating imperialism and ethnic cleansing.

To publish a commentary that suggests readers should ignore the evidence of their own eyes and ears and to forget the context in which Trump’s statements were made is insulting. All evidence suggests Trump meant what he said. No Catholic publication should be providing cover or support for anyone suggesting wickedness as a solution. Doing so is cooperation with sin. Please take this as intended: fraternal correction.

Eric Pohl

Westphalia, Michigan

On the Death Penalty

Regarding “Trump’s Policy Clash With the Church” (front page, Feb. 23 issue): On the question of the death penalty, there is no clash between the recent Trump directives and Church teaching. The Church has taught from apostolic times to the present day that capital punishment is moral and licit. This teaching can be found, explicitly or implicitly, in Scripture (St. Paul, in Acts 25:11), in the early Church Fathers (e.g., Clement of Alexandria and St. Ambrose, among others), in the writings of doctors of the Church (Augustine, Aquinas, Bellarmine, Alphonsus Liguori), and in the decrees and actions of many popes (Innocent I, Innocent III, Leo X, Pius XII).

The fundamental reason given for the use of the death penalty is to punish the offender who has deliberately taken the life of one made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 9:6). Protection of society and deterrence of similar crimes are secondary considerations. As a reminder, policy statements do not constitute Church teaching. Any change in teaching on the death penalty would, in fact, be inadmissible.

Robert Rooney

St. Augustine, Florida

The editor responds: You’re correct that the Church has long recognized the state’s right to impose the death penalty and that its primary justification has always been the duty to uphold justice. You’re also correct that an actual reversal of Church teaching on this point would be inadmissible. However, the teaching of recent popes is not a contradiction but a legitimate development of the Church’s understanding of how justice is best served in modern circumstances. The Catechism, under Pope St. John Paul II, affirmed that while capital punishment is not intrinsically immoral, cases in which it is truly necessary “are very rare, if not practically nonexistent” (2267). Pope Benedict XVI encouraged its abolition, and Pope Francis further clarified that, given the dignity of the person and the development of “more effective systems of detention,” the death penalty is now considered “inadmissible.”

Sanger and Racism

Relative to your coverage of Planned Parenthood: When I first read about Margaret Sanger’s Planned Parenthood, I thought it was all about planning for parenthood, or just “real” family planning. Specifically, I thought it meant working with clients to create families based on available resources like income, space and personal desires. Boy, did I miss the bus!

I learned how its founder, Margaret Sanger, had other ideas. Such ideas were attractive to people like Adolf Hitler, as he proclaimed the racial superiority of the Aryan race, and President Woodrow Wilson, who supported segregating the federal government. Sanger’s effort to redesign population by creating Planned Parenthood was not only to reduce the general population but also to realign the racial makeup of society! All this was done while masquerading itself as a “service” to those who wish to conveniently “depopulate” themselves and use available taxpayer money to cleverly fund the operation as a nonprofit organization. Those who support Sanger’s Planned Parenthood are obviously the real advocates of racism and murder. Hardly could they justify the pro-life advocates of either one since pro-life advocates know about the “family planning” strategy of Planned Parenthood! I do hope the U.S. Supreme Court will soon rule on a major case brought about by Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina (Kerr v. Edwards), who recently advocated the defunding of this player representing the abortion industry.

Gerald Hulbert

Sumas, Washington

The Message Matters

Regarding the Pope’s call for short homilies (“Keeping It Short and Sweet,” front page, Dec. 29 issue): For 24 months, I was mobilized to Fort Dix, New Jersey, as an Army inspector general, and I was blessed to have more than one great priest at McGuire Air Force Base for daily Mass (I went to Sunday Mass at Fort Dix). Daily Mass was 35 minutes long, and without exception, the homilies, though short, were fantastic!

They were linked to the readings and focused on how to make my daily and spiritual life better. I felt energized after Mass and set out to be a better me. In my experience, it’s the message that matters, and longer does not necessarily equate to a good message. I agree with Douglas from Vero Beach and Susan from Wichita (Feb. 9 “Letters”): If the good padre can keep me enthralled for an hour, then go for it! Otherwise, get to the point, and let’s move on.

Greg Gravlee Trussville, Alabama