Sunday, June 15, 2025
Pope Leo XIV Chooses a Refugee as His First Episcopal Appointee in America
Pope Leo XIV has appointed a refugee who fled Communist persecution in Vietnam as a child with his family as the Bishop of Sand Diego, the American Pontiff’s first appointment of a Bishop in America. Pope Leo, the Bishop of Rome, has clearly preached against divisions and in favor of unity and has emphasized Christian love for the poor and marginalized, including migrants and refugees. His first episcopal appointment thus sends a clear message. The new Bishop of San Diego and his auxiliary Bishops will stand with refugees at their asylum hearings on June 20, International Refugee Day. The presence of clergy is a favorable factor for refugees seeking asylum who must prove a credible fear of persecution. As I have posted, the Trump Administration has ended legal protections that had been granted to certain groups of refugees already present and ended legal pathways for refugees seeking asylum in America, while conducting mass deportations of migrants, including some present legally, and even without due process, including refugees seeking court hearings for their asylum claims, for which it has been criticized by various Christian denominations, as well as by employers; lawyers, human rights advocates, and law enforcement officers; and by liberals, libertarians and conservatives.
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