VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo told US bishops visiting him at the Vatican on Wednesday that they should firmly address how immigrants are being treated by President Donald Trump’s hardline policies, attendees said, in the latest push by the pontiff on the issue.
Leo, the first US pope, was handed dozens of letters from immigrants describing their fears of deportation under the Trump administration’s policies during the meeting, which included bishops and social workers from the US-Mexico border.
“Our Holy Father … is very personally concerned about these matters,” El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz, who took part in the meeting, told Reuters. “He expressed his desire that the US Bishops’ Conference would speak strongly on this issue.”
“It means a lot to all of us to know of his personal desire that we continue to speak out,” said Seitz.
The Vatican did not immediately comment on the pope’s meeting.
Elected in May to replace the late Pope Francis, Leo has shown a much more reserved style than his predecessor, who frequently criticized the Trump administration and often spoke in surprise, off-the-cuff remarks.
But Leo has been ramping up his criticism in recent weeks.
The pope questioned on September 30 whether the Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies were in line with the Catholic Church’s pro-life teachings, in comments that drew heated backlash from some prominent conservative Catholics.
The White House has said Trump was elected based on his many promises, including to deport criminal illegal aliens.
One of the letters given to the pope on Wednesday, shared with Reuters, described a family with two members who did not have legal permission to stay in the US and who were afraid to leave the house for fear of deportation.
“I believe the Pope should speak out openly against the raids and the unfair treatment the community is experiencing,” read the letter, written in Spanish.
Leo also met privately with a group of about 100 American Catholics involved in ministry with migrants on Tuesday evening, thanking them for their work.
Pope Leo tells US bishops to address Trump’s immigration crackdown
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Pope Leo tells US bishops to address Trump’s immigration crackdown
- Leo, the first US pope, was handed dozens of letters from immigrants describing their fears of deportation under the Trump administration
- The pope questioned on Sept. 30 whether the Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies were in line with the Catholic Church’s pro-life teachings
Indian PM calls deadly Delhi blast ‘conspiracy’
- Explosion in Delhi near Red Fort killed at least eight, wounded 19 on Monday evening
- Indian police official says investigating blast in capital under anti-terrorism laws
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called a deadly car explosion in the heart of the capital that killed at least eight people a “conspiracy,” vowing those responsible will face justice.
Police are yet to give exact details of what caused Monday’s blast near the historic Red Fort, one of India’s most well-known landmarks, and the site of the annual prime minister’s Independence Day speech.
It is the first significant security incident since April 22, when 26 mainly Hindu civilians were killed at the tourist site of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, triggering clashes with Pakistan.
“I assure everyone that the agencies will get to the bottom of the entire conspiracy,” Modi said, in a speech during a state visit to neighboring Bhutan, without giving further details.
“All those involved will be brought to justice.”
At least 19 people were also wounded when flames ripped through several vehicles. Crime scene investigators scoured through the wreckage early on Tuesday.
The explosion on Monday came hours after Indian police said they had arrested a gang and seized explosive materials and assault rifles.
Police said the men were linked with Jaish-e-Mohammed, a militant group that India says is based in Pakistan, and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, a Kashmir offshoot of Al-Qaeda.
Both groups are listed as “terrorist” organizations in India.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, speaking at a conference in New Delhi, said that investigative agencies were “conducting a swift and thorough inquiry” and that the findings “will soon be made public.”
Singh, echoing Modi’s words, said “those responsible for this tragedy will be brought to justice, and will not be spared under any circumstances.”
Senior Delhi police officer Raja Banthia said they were investigating the blast in the crowded Old Delhi quarter of the city, under anti-terrorism laws.
New Delhi’s deputy chief fire officer AK Malik told AFP shortly after the explosion that eight people had been killed.
The Press Trust of India news agency reported on Tuesday that the death toll had risen to 12, although that figure has not been confirmed.
’PEOPLE WERE BURNING’
Witnesses described to AFP how the car exploded in traffic and how people caught up in the surge of flames were set on fire.
“I saw the car explode while it was moving,” said Dharmindra Dhaga, 27.
“People were on fire and we tried to save them... Cars and people were burning — people inside the cars were burning,” he said.
“I was telling the public to save them, rescue them, and get them out. The public was busy making videos and taking photos.”
The emergency ward at Delhi’s LNJP hospital was chaotic after the explosion as wounded people streamed in and doctors rushed to treat them.
A woman broke down outside the ward where her husband was being treated.
“I can’t bear to see him like that,” she said as her brother tried to console her.
New Delhi accused Pakistan of backing the gunmen after the April attack in Pahalgam, a claim denied by Islamabad.
That attack sparked clashes between the nuclear-armed arch rivals in May, when more than 70 people were killed in missile, drone and artillery exchanges before a ceasefire was struck.
The last significant attack in the Indian capital was in September 2011, when a bomb hidden in a briefcase ripped through a crowd outside New Delhi’s High Court, killing at least 14 people.
