CROOKSTON, MN - On Nov. 21, 2025, the “Lend Us Your Heart” section on the Diocese of Crookston’s website posted a message by Bishop Andrew Cozzens concerning the issue of immigration titled “A Catholic Understanding of Immigration.”
It reads:
“Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3:20).
Since the beginning of Christianity, it has been important to recognize that we are citizens of two realms. We live in an earthly realm — we live in the United States — but when we are baptized, we enter into an Eternal Kingdom. We become citizens of what St. Augustine called the “City of God.” The Catholic Church is a heavenly realm that spans all nations and all time, and those who are joined to Christ’s body on earth become citizens of a heavenly realm that lasts forever, regardless of their nationality. Obviously, this heavenly citizenship is more important than our earthly one and is the goal of our earthly one. We share this citizenship with millions of people throughout the world and desire that everyone would share it with us.