They're at it again.

Meeting in St. Louis recently, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) once again demonstrated that it has little or no understanding of, or seeks any real connection to, the faithful in the pews.

Among the most removed from reality is Archbishop Blase Cupich, [Email him] chosen by Pope Francis last fall as Chicago archbishop, who urged U.S. bishops to give changing U.S. immigration policy a priority position in planning for the years ahead. "We are facing in this country right now a broken immigration policy. That has an enormous impact on family life and marriage," Cupich said about the proposed USCCB document dealing with that issue. [US Catholic Bishops Discuss How to Best Follow Pope's Lead, By Rachel Zoll, AP, June 11, 2015]

Bishops in charge of writing the proposal on "immigration reform" said the document contained significant language on aiding the disenfranchised, but Bishop George Thomas of Helena, Montana, urged American church leaders to "throw our collective weight" into fighting on behalf of the poor and unemployed. "I think there needs to be much greater visibility to the plight of the poor," Thomas said. As is often the case, no specifics, such as the cost of such burdens, seemed to be of concern to these members of the Church's hierarchy.

What is playing out here is a description of the current state of U.S. church leaders who are trying to follow the dictates of the pontificate under Pope Francis I. Perhaps they are worried: to date, there is an on-going purge of any and all "traditional" bishops, including those who seek a realistic evaluation of what "illegal" means in law. I would bet—and I am not a gambling man—that "ethical treatment of immigrants" will be a topic that the pontiff raises when he speaks to the joint houses of congress later this year.

Need I describe what President Obama's reaction will be?

Chiarello is a retired Foreign Service Officer whose tours included U.S. embassies in Latin America and Europe. See Vincent Chiarello's previous letters to VDARE.com.