Archdiocese of St. Louis Sues Federal Government Over Clergy Access to Detained Immigrants
ST. LOUIS — The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis has sued the federal government over clergy access to detained immigrants. According to Reuters, the case centers on the Ste. Genevieve County Detention Center in Missouri, which holds about 150 immigration detainees; visits are currently limited to a single four-hour window on Mondays, conducted through a glass partition and by telephone.
The archdiocese, led by Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski, argues that the arrangement obstructs religious ministry such as confession, which requires in-person contact, and infringes on religious freedom. It is asking the court to order more reasonable access for clergy.
Reuters reported that the Department of Homeland Security denies blocking religious visits and says the arrangements reflect security needs. As immigration enforcement expands, disputes over religious access in detention facilities have arisen across the country, and faith and immigrant-rights groups are watching the case closely.
The Archdiocese of St. Louis is Missouri's largest Catholic diocese, covering the city and surrounding counties. Visiting the imprisoned is a longstanding work of mercy in Catholic teaching, and the archdiocese argues in its filing that clergy meetings are not only pastoral comfort but involve sacraments such as confession, which a phone call through glass cannot replace. Immigrant-rights groups welcomed the suit, calling the limits part of a broader tightening of visitation across detention facilities; the facility, through DHS, maintains its arrangements balance security with detainees' rights. Reuters reported that the case has been filed in federal court, with hearings to come on the specific visitation rules; the archdiocese said it will keep providing ministry within the existing window while the case proceeds.
Photo: Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, Lewis Hulbert
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：圣路易斯总教区主教座堂。摄影：Nheyob，CC BY-SA 3.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
