Pope Leo's First US Bishop Calls on Priests to Escort Asylum Seekers to Court: 'People of Faith Stand with Immigrants'
Rev. Michael Pham, the first U.S. bishop appointed by Pope Leo XIV, has called on priests, deacons and ministry leaders across the Diocese of San Diego to accompany asylum seekers to court on International Refugee Day, June 20.
In a joint letter with Reverends Ramón Bejarano and Felipe Pulido, Rev. Pham announced that a group of clergy and faith leaders will stand in solidarity with migrants at San Diego's federal courthouse from 7 to 10 a.m. The letter described the migrants' situation as a "difficult predicament," noting they are being summoned to court only to face swift expulsion from the country.
While acknowledging their presence is unlikely to change the outcome, they emphasized that migrants are treated with greater dignity simply by virtue of their being there.
"Following the court appearances, the faith leaders will have a press conference so that the clear message that people of faith stand with immigrants and refugees can be delivered to the broader public," the letter stated.
Rev. Pham is himself a former refugee. He fled Vietnam in 1980 at the age of 13 with his older sister and younger brother. The siblings spent time in a refugee camp in Malaysia before they were sponsored by an American family in Minnesota in 1981. His family was reunited in 1983, and they eventually settled in San Diego two years later.
Pope Leo appointed Rev. Pham to be the seventh Bishop of the Diocese of San Diego last month, and his installation Mass will be held on July 17. Rev. Pham will be the first Vietnamese American to lead an American diocese.
"I am deeply thankful to Pope Leo XIV who entrusted me with this portion of the Lord's vineyard. It brings an added sense of awe as I am a son to this diocese," Bishop Pham shared in a statement. "It is an honor to serve 'my home,' where I received my call and vocation to the priesthood more than 31 years ago. My priestly ministry has been greatly nurtured and enriched all these years."
Originally published on Latin Times
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