Episode 3286: Response to Cardinal Cupich’s Statement on Immigration: True Charity

November 8, 2025
The Four Holy Crowned Martyrs
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Book Recommendation of the Day
St. Thomas More — Utopia
Theme: The moral structure of an ideal Christian society.
Although written as a philosophical dialogue, More contrasts false equality and worldly compassion with a social order grounded in virtue, duty, and hierarchy.
He warns against confusing material aid with true charity and imagines what happens when laws are ignored for sentiment.
“Charity must begin at home, but it cannot end there.”
Charity, Order, and the Duty of Nations: Response to Cardinal Cupich’s Statement on Immigration
I want to discuss an article in the Chicago Catholic written by Cardinal Cupich’s titled “Standing with Immigrants.”
In that message, His Eminence urged parishes and schools not to turn away those without documents and spoke of defending the dignity of every human being. But let me read the entire article for you since it isn’t very long.
While all Catholics affirm the dignity of every soul made in God’s image, it’s vital to understand that dignity within the order established by divine and natural law. True Catholic teaching does not dissolve boundaries in the name of sentiment, nor replace justice with emotional rhetoric.
I’ve always said that if a Catholic wants to know what position they should take its very easy, just follow the churches guidance before it went communistic after V2, Now lets look at how Cardinal Cupich’s position departs from historic Catholic teaching both theologically and prudentially.
All you need to do is look at what the parishes in Chicago were doing in 1963. In their bulletins they were instructing all immigrants that were not proper citizens to register with the Immigration Department. Why the complete change now in 2025? Easy, the money, the butts in seats. Isn’t interesting that during covet before this immigration crisis which was created by Joe Biden when many of us catholic refused to get the covid shot (the jab) we were instructed by our church to obey the law, They refused to provide us with religious exemptions under the grounds of human dignity. So we were refused the sacraments and the churches closed down because they insisted we follow the law. Rule for thee and rules for we. Isn’t it also very interesting that most of the parishes in Chicago and its outlining suburbs have a significant number of illegals in the parish and they refuse to have them obey the law and instead are assisting in hiding them insisting the sacraments are open to all. Do you see the blatant contradiction. No mention of the abuse of all our social services and tax dollars or even the monolopization of our parishes so they don’t even look American anymore. They role out the sentalmental card and the racist card to beatus into submission. Nah we are done with those communistic games.
The Traditional Catholic Position: Charity Ordered by Reason
For nearly two millennia, the Church has taught that charity must be governed by reason and justice.
• St. Thomas Aquinas:
“Charity must be ordered by reason.” (Summa Theologica II–II, Q.26)
Meaning: love must serve truth, not emotion.
• Pope Leo XIII in Rerum Novarum (1891):
“The State exists for the advantage of those governed.”
That includes protecting citizens, ensuring order, and defending moral life.

• Pope Pius XII in Exsul Familia Nazarethana (1952):
“The migrant has rights, yes, but also duties. And the State likewise has rights and duties.”
This balance is critical both individual compassion and the integrity of nations are part of the moral order.
The traditional doctrine is that immigration must serve the common good not sentiment, politics, or ideology. Charity is personal and voluntary; justice is public and ordered.
How Cardinal Cupich’s Statement Contradicts This Tradition
In the statement you provided, Cardinal Cupich said:
“Our parishes and schools will not turn away those who seek comfort… It is essential that we respect the dignity of every human being.”
“You have worked hard. You have raised families. You have contributed to this nation. Americans should not forget that we all come from immigrant families.”
While on the surface these words sound pastoral, the underlying message ignores the ordered distinctions that the Church has always made between:
• Private charity vs. public policy,
• The duty of the State vs. the duty of the individual, and
• Spiritual dignity vs. legal or civic status.
Let’s break this down.
He Redefines “Dignity” in a Secular-Humanist Sense
The Church teaches that dignity flows from being made in God’s image but that dignity is wounded by sin and must be redeemed through grace.
By treating “dignity” as a social entitlement independent of moral order, Cardinal Cupich’s statement adopts a secular humanitarian definition one that erases the supernatural dimension of salvation and moral responsibility.
Contrast:
• Traditional view: “Dignity is tied to virtue and grace.”
• Modern view (Cupich): “Dignity is innate and requires unconditional acceptance.”
That shift replaces theological anthropology (man redeemed through Christ) with social anthropology (man affirmed regardless of belief or behavior).

He Politicizes Charity
Cardinal Cupich says:
“Our parishes and schools will not turn away those who seek comfort.”
That may sound merciful, but it implies institutional disobedience to lawful authority, since immigration law and Church discipline are distinct but complementary.
The Church traditionally teaches that civil laws when not contrary to divine law must be obeyed (Romans 13:1–2).
By promoting open-door policies without qualification, Cupich encourages a politicized charity that undermines both the State’s authority and the Church’s credibility as a teacher of order.
Pope St. Pius X condemned this kind of moral confusion in Notre Charge Apostolique (1910):
“The dream of re-shaping society will be realized only by the reformation of morals.”
That means reforming hearts not erasing laws.

He Equates Illegal Immigration with Virtuous Suffering
Cupich’s statement treats illegal immigrants as a class of “pilgrims” to be embraced unconditionally, saying they “contribute” and “earn respect.”
But the Church’s tradition distinguishes between the virtuous poor (those unjustly afflicted) and the willful violator of law (whose disorder injures the common good).
St. Paul teaches:
“If any man will not work, neither let him eat.” (2 Thess. 3:10)
The Church Fathers extended that principle: obedience to just laws is a moral duty.
To treat lawbreaking as sanctity is to confuse virtue with victimhood.
He Neglects the Church’s Historic Defense of National Integrity
For centuries, Popes defended the right of nations to preserve their moral and cultural identity.
• Pope Pius XII, again in Exsul Familia:
“No one can question the right of the State to regulate immigration, for the welfare of its citizens and the preservation of its culture.”
• Pope Leo XIII, in Immortale Dei (1885):
“Civil authority derives from God, and must be obeyed when acting for the common good.”
Cupich’s rhetoric undermines this by suggesting that any attempt to regulate immigration wounds the “soul of the city.”
That language mirrors modernist and Marxist social theory, not Catholic doctrine.
It places emotion over principle the same inversion condemned by Pope St. Pius X as “the false compassion that makes moral order impossible.”
The Historical Pattern: From Ordered Charity to Humanitarian Universalism
In older papal teaching, the Church was profoundly incarnational she respected nations, cultures, and political structures as natural reflections of divine order.
Modern bishops, including Cardinal Cupich, have drifted toward a borderless universalism, where mercy becomes ideology.
This transformation can be traced as follows:
Era Church Teaching Key Figures Result
Pre-Vatican II Charity is personal, nations have moral rights, order serves grace St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Leo XIII, Pius XII Harmony of justice and mercy
Post-Vatican II “Solidarity” interpreted as social inclusion rather than supernatural unity Paul VI, John Paul II (early years) Shift toward sentimental humanitarianism
Present (Cupich era) Dignity = social belonging; law = obstacle to compassion Cupich, McElroy, Bergoglio Replacement of doctrine with emotional rhetoric
Thus, Cupich’s position is not new it is the culmination of a decades-long drift from Thomistic realism to pastoral modernism.
The Theological Consequence: Disorder and Indifferentism
When bishops place compassion above doctrine, they unintentionally promote indifferentism the belief that all moral choices are acceptable if motivated by “love.”
This is the same moral confusion condemned by Pope Gregory XVI in Mirari Vos (1832) and by Pope Pius IX in the Syllabus of Errors (1864), which explicitly rejected the notion that:
“It is lawful for any man to act according to his private judgment in matters of morality and politics.” (Syllabus of Errors, Proposition 55)
By redefining compassion as acceptance without moral framework, Cardinal Cupich effectively defies the Church’s consistent moral theology not by direct heresy, but by pastoral inversion.
Traditional Catholic Summary
• The Church’s perennial teaching:
o Nations have a divine right to order their affairs for the common good.
o Charity is personal and must be ordered by reason and justice.
o Civil laws, when just, must be obeyed.
o True dignity is restored through grace, not guaranteed by politics.
• Cardinal Cupich’s approach replaces this order with emotional universalism, where social “inclusion” becomes the highest good.
That is not Catholic tradition it is a form of practical modernism: the reduction of supernatural truth to natural sentiment.
From Pope Pius XII
“The duties of hospitality and compassion must be exercised within the framework of law and justice, for charity without order ceases to be virtue.”
— Address to the World Congress on Emigration, 1951
That single line summarizes the entire Traditional Catholic answer to Cardinal Cupich:
Charity must never abolish order.
God’s Law of Order
Scripture reminds us: “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.” (1 Corinthians 14:33)
Peace arises from order and order from obedience to God’s law.
St. Thomas Aquinas teaches in the Summa Theologica that “Law is an ordinance of reason for the common good, made by him who has care of the community.”
A nation, like a family, must be ordered toward the common good not sentiment or social experiment.
This includes the right, and the moral duty, to regulate who enters its home.
The Catechism of the Council of Trent explains that rulers are bound “to guard the safety of their people.”
When Church leaders confuse spiritual charity with political activism, the result is disorder and scandal.
True charity never contradicts justice. Mercy detached from truth becomes false mercy — a counterfeit compassion that destroys rather than heals.
The Virtue of Charity and the Danger of Sentimentalism
Cardinal Cupich wrote, “Our parishes and schools will not turn away those who seek comfort.”
While that sentiment sounds compassionate, it risks reducing the Church’s mission to humanitarianism.
Authentic comfort is not merely emotional relief but spiritual conversion. The Church’s mission has always been to lead souls to Christ and salvation salus animarum suprema lex “the salvation of souls is the supreme law.”
When bishops emphasize dignity without repentance or conversion, they replace divine charity with worldly sympathy.
Pope Pius XII, in Exsul Familia Nazarethana, balanced both principles perfectly:
“The migrant has rights, yes, but also duties, and the State likewise has rights and duties.”
This harmony between mercy and prudence reflects true Catholic charity.
Even Our Lord respected divine order in His mission. He told His apostles:
“Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and enter not into the city of the Samaritans.” (Matthew 10:5)
Christ respected the order of salvation history just as nations must respect the order of law.

The Common Good and the Right of Nations
Nations are not arbitrary human creations. They are part of God’s providential order.
Scripture in Acts 17:26 declares:
“He hath made of one blood all nations of men… and hath determined the bounds of their habitation.”
Boundaries are divinely ordained. They safeguard identity, culture, and the moral structure of civilization.
Pope Leo XIII, in Rerum Novarum, stated that the State exists “for the advantage of those governed.”
That means protecting its citizens, defending the moral fabric of society, and ensuring the stability of Christian culture.
To open borders recklessly or to use immigration as a political tool violates the virtue of prudence and weakens the common good.
Protecting one’s homeland is not selfishness it is an act of piety. St. Thomas Aquinas places pietas among the virtues of justice, teaching that love for one’s country is a natural extension of love for one’s parents.
Authentic Respect for Immigrants
Traditional Catholics do not deny compassion to the immigrant. But compassion must be rightly ordered.
True respect for immigrants means helping them live in accordance with divine law, work honorably, and integrate into the moral culture of their new home.
St. Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 3:10:
“If any man will not work, neither let him eat.”
He was not condemning the poor, but upholding the dignity of labor and responsibility.
When Church leaders or governments encourage dependence or lawlessness, they strip human dignity of its moral foundation.
Assimilation to virtue and truth is essential. If a nation loses its moral identity in the name of false inclusivity, it commits cultural suicide. Charity without conversion is not love it is surrender.
The saints remind us that charity begins at home — yet it does not end there. A nation secure in its faith is best equipped to help those in need.

The Spiritual Battle Behind the Border Crisis
The crisis at our borders is not only political it is spiritual.
Behind global migration patterns lies a larger moral revolution seeking to dissolve nations, erase faith, and replace Christian order with globalist humanism.
When borders fall, identities fade. When order disappears, souls are lost.
This is not compassion; it is confusion.
Our Lady warned at Fatima that “nations will be annihilated” if mankind does not repent.
That annihilation can occur through physical war — or through moral collapse.
As the Church embraces worldly causes while neglecting its supernatural mission, it risks becoming what Archbishop Lefebvre called “a humanitarian organization rather than the Mystical Body of Christ.”
We must pray for our shepherds to rediscover the courage of their predecessors bishops and popes who defended both faith and reason, both mercy and justice, without compromise.
Closing Reflection
A Catholic response to immigration must unite charity with justice, mercy with order, and love with truth.
To separate these is to destroy the Gospel’s harmony.
We are called to help the stranger, yes but also to defend the home, the faith, and the moral law.
The true dignity of man lies not in his passport or poverty, but in his eternal destiny as a creature made for Heaven.
Epistle – Hebrews 11:33–39
“They by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, recovered strength from weakness, became valiant in war, put to flight the armies of foreigners... being tried by mockery and scourging, by bands and prisons... of whom the world was not worthy.”
Reflection on the Epistle
This passage from the Epistle to the Hebrews resounds like a hymn to faith. It recounts the triumphs and sufferings of the saints of old — those who trusted God even when surrounded by defeat. Their strength was not human; it was divine. By faith, they conquered kingdoms not with weapons, but with perseverance. They suffered injustice, imprisonment, and death — yet their faith made them invincible.
The Four Holy Crowned Martyrs — Severus, Severianus, Carpophorus, and Victorinus — lived this very truth. As Roman soldiers, they were commanded to sacrifice to pagan gods. When they refused, they were tortured and beaten to death. Their faith made them “valiant in war,” not because they fought earthly battles, but because they resisted the powers of hell and remained loyal to the King of Kings.
Today, we too live in an age that demands compromise. Society calls us to bow before idols of comfort, materialism, and human respect. To stand firm in the faith, to uphold the traditional teachings of the Church, to raise our children as Catholics in a world that despises Christ these are our modern martyrdoms.
Like those saints, we must believe that “the world is not worthy” of those who live for eternity. The glory of Heaven is worth every struggle.
Gospel – Matthew 5:1–12
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’s sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven...
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is very great in heaven.”
Reflection on the Gospel
The Beatitudes the “charter of holiness” are the law of the saints and the pattern of the martyrs. Our Lord begins not by promising worldly success, but heavenly joy. Poverty, sorrow, meekness, hunger for justice, mercy, purity, and peace these are the virtues that lead to divine reward.
To the world, such a life looks like failure. To God, it is glory.
The Four Holy Crowned Martyrs lived the Beatitudes perfectly:
• Poor in spirit, for they gave up earthly honor to gain eternal crowns.
• Mournful, for they grieved over sin and the idolatry around them.
• Persecuted for justice’s sake, for they suffered for proclaiming the one true God.
In a world where comfort is prized and suffering is avoided at all costs, the martyrs remind us that sanctity demands sacrifice. The Beatitudes teach us that holiness is not measured by success, but by fidelity fidelity that endures even unto death.
Our Lord calls us today to live the Beatitudes not in theory, but in daily practice: by patience in trials, charity in conflict, and constancy in faith. To be a “blessed soul” in this life is to be a sign of contradiction to the world, as Christ Himself was.
Feast of the Four Holy Crowned Martyrs
The names of these holy soldiers are immortalized in the Roman Canon (the Traditional Latin Mass). Their story, dating to the early 4th century, reminds us that true honor comes not from the empire of men but from the Kingdom of Heaven. They were called “crowned” because God gave them an imperishable crown of glory in exchange for the laurel of Rome.
Their relics rest in the ancient basilica Santi Quattro Coronati in Rome — a church that still stands as a fortress of faith amidst a decaying world. Their witness urges us to live as “citizens of Heaven,” refusing to yield to the corruption of our age.

Application for the Faithful
1. Embrace the Faith with Courage: Be unafraid to defend truth, even when unpopular.
2. Live the Beatitudes Daily: Practice humility, mercy, and purity of heart.
3. Honor the Martyrs’ Legacy: Visit their feast in prayer and imitate their constancy.
4. Prepare for Spiritual Combat: The Epistle reminds us that victory is achieved by faith and perseverance, not by ease or compromise.
Conclusionary Prayer
O God, who didst crown Thy blessed martyrs with eternal glory for their steadfast confession of faith, grant that through their intercession we may remain faithful in our trials and courageous in our witness. Strengthen us to bear our crosses with love, to live the Beatitudes with joy, and to seek the incorruptible crown that awaits all who persevere in Thy grace.
Four Holy Crowned Martyrs, pray for us.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, reign over us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, intercede for us.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.