Catholic leaders urge calm in Minneapolis, reflect on ‘well-ordered’ society

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Minnesota Catholic Conference issued statements amid violent immigration enforcement in Minnesota.

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By Tyler Arnold/EWTN News

National Catholic leaders and those in Minnesota are calling for calm, restraint, and respect for human dignity after federal agents killed two citizens.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched Operation Metro Surge in December to arrest and deport people for immigration violations. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), officials have arrested more than 3,000 people on immigration charges during this mission.

There have been three officer-involved shootings during the operation, two of which resulted in the deaths of Minneapolis citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the USCCB, issued a statement on Jan. 25, the day after Pretti died. Coakley’s comments did not directly reference the incident or mention Pretti’s name.

Archbishop Coakley quoted Pope Leo XIV’s comments at the Angelus prayer earlier that day, when the Holy Father said “the Gospel must be proclaimed and lived in every setting, serving as a leaven of fraternity and peace among all individuals, cultures, religions, and peoples.”

The archbishop said that, with Leo’s words in mind, “I prayerfully urge calm, restraint, and respect for human life in Minneapolis, and all those places where peace is threatened.”

“Public authorities especially have a responsibility to safeguard the well-being of people in service to the common good,” Archbishop Coakley said.

“As a nation we must come together in dialogue, turning away from dehumanizing rhetoric and acts which threaten human life,” he added. “In this spirit, in unity with Pope Leo, it is important to proclaim, ‘Peace is built on respect for people!’”

‘Lawless organization’

Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, went a step further. He called for completely defunding ICE and asked Catholics to contact their lawmakers to ask them to oppose its funding in an appropriations bill being negotiated in Congress to prevent a government shutdown.

He made the comments at an online interfaith prayer vigil hosted by the nonprofit Faith in Action, which is involved in migrant advocacy.

“We ask for the love of God and for the love of human beings, which can’t be separated, vote against renewing funding for such a lawless organization,” Cardinal Tobin said.

A spokesperson for DHS, which encompasses ICE, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Minnesota Catholic leaders urge ‘peace in a time of conflict’

The USCCB statement came two days after Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC), signed onto an open letter to federal, state, and local elected leaders, urging “peace in a time of conflict.”

The open letter was signed by MCC — which represents the state’s Catholic bishops — and the evangelical group Transform Minnesota and the Jewish group Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas. The letter came 16 days after Good’s death and one day before Pretti’s.

In the letter, the faith leaders wrote they are “alarmed by stories of the too many Minnesota residents (citizens and immigrants) who’ve suffered under [the operation]” and are “concerned by the toll this crisis is inflicting on the trusted relationships that must exist between law enforcement and the communities they are sworn to protect.”

“The factors driving this crisis are complex, such as our broken immigration system,” the letter said. “But despite profound differences within our communities and our nation more broadly on immigration policy, all of our elected officials share a moral obligation to protect human dignity, preserve civil peace, and reduce the risk that more people will be harmed or even killed before this current crisis ends.”

The faith leaders asked officials from every level of government to “come together and chart an off ramp from this crisis” and provided a list of suggestions they believe could help de-escalate the tensions.

Some suggestions included better coordination between federal and state law enforcement “to remove dangerous people from our streets” but also “curtailing immigration enforcement against law-abiding undocumented immigrants and those pursuing legal pathways our own government has created.”

They also urged respect for “the civil and human rights of undocumented immigrants and citizens” and “protecting the most vulnerable among us who are afraid to work, go to school, or even to procure the basic necessities of life.” The final request was to restore “safety, security, and calm in our streets, workplaces, especially in places of sanctuary such as schools, and houses of worship.”

The Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota also reopened its Minnesota Catholic Relief Fund (MCRF), to support Catholic parishes and schools that “have stepped forward to respond to increased needs within their communities” amid the operation.

In a fundraising letter, MCRF noted that parishes and schools “are providing basic charitable assistance, pastoral presence, and short-term emergency support to individuals and families they serve” but are facing financial strains.

“Parishes and schools are often on the front lines in moments like these,” it said. “While they continue their broader mission and ministry, these essential efforts can place added financial and organizational strain on Catholic parishes and schools that already work with limited resources.”

Archbishop Etienne calls for society of ‘truth, justice, and peace’

Amid what he called “these turbulent times,” Seattle Archbishop Paul D. Etienne issued a pastoral letter that called for “a well-ordered society rooted in truth, justice, and peace.”

The letter was not specifically about immigration but said an “authentic respect for life also extends to refugees and migrants” as well as the unborn, the elderly, those who suffer from discrimination, the poor, and the weary.

“Love of neighbor begins here — by seeing Christ in each person and responding with reverence and compassion,” Archbishop Etienne said. “We practice it daily in the way we treat a person who is homeless, how we talk to one another, how we respond to our neighbors, including those who may appear to be shunned by the broader community.”