EXCLUSIVE: Bishop Robert Barron said he has been urging Catholics on the left to stop the «demonization» of the Trump administration, even when it comes to highly contentious issues such as immigration and border security.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Barron, arguably the most prominent Catholic prelate in America, said that despite criticism within the church of the administration’s immigration policy, «there are darn good reasons, moral reasons, for being concerned about an open border.»

«I don’t think it’s fair to say to a conservative, to a Republican, you’re just being difficult and anti-humanitarian,» he said, adding that «at times, the Catholic left is great for calling for dialogue and bridge-building — until it comes to conservatives.»

He said that for many Catholics on the left, «when it comes to conservatives, just tell them what they should be doing and saying.»

«No, no, let’s build bridges of conversation. That’s a role the Church can play,» he said. «What I don’t want from the church is a kind of demonization of the Trump administration.»

PROMINENT CATHOLIC BISHOP SLAMS ANTI-ICE AGITATORS WHO DISRUPTED MN CHURCH SERVICE: ‘UNACCEPTABLE’

«If there are points of disagreement, whether it’s immigration or it’s the [Iran] war or whatever, let’s talk about it, let’s talk.»

Barron said he has been trying to encourage dialogue on both the immigration and Iran issues. Though he admitted he has «not always met with success, frankly, from the ecclesial side.»

Despite this, Barron said he «would like those conversations to continue.»

The bishop revealed he was deeply moved by a passionate appeal for stricter border security from border czar Tom Homan during a recent White House call. He said he was participating in it as part of his work on President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission.

Barron said Homan, who he noted is a Catholic, «spoke with great passion… and he said he’s come out of retirement twice to engage this issue.»

«Why? He said that because he’s seen the terrible destruction caused by an open border. And he was talking about, especially human trafficking, the human trafficking of children, the disappearance of children we’ve lost track of completely in this process.»

POPE LEO SAYS COUNTRIES HAVE RIGHT TO CONTROL THEIR BORDERS, ADVOCATES FOR HUMANE TREATMENT OF MIGRANTS

White House border czar Tom Homan holds a press conference along the border wall between San Diego, Calif., and Tijuana, Mexico, on Dec. 13, 2025, to announce increased security on the southwest border. (Reuters/Mike Blake)

«He was saying, we can’t simply fall for the simplistic view that an open border is humanitarian, that an open border is kind to the stranger… an open border also produces enormous moral problems,» said Barron.

«You could tell that it was affecting him very deeply, very personally,» he said. «I found that very moving.»

«It’s not just, well, the bad guy, Republicans, who want to enforce immigration laws. It’s Republicans for very good moral reasons who want to enforce immigration law,» he said.

At the same time, Barron emphasized that there are «values on both sides» of the debate.

He said that even through Trump’s feud with Pope Leo XIV, he has encouraged real dialogue and conversation between the Vatican and Washington. He said he has met with «a lot of Catholics inside the Trump administration who are interested in bringing the church’s teaching to bear.»

EXCLUSIVE: CATHOLIC BISHOPS CHIDED FOR SOWING ‘CONFUSION’ ON DEPORTATION STANCE

Pope Leo XIV met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Vatican City; Rubio has been lauded by President Donald Trump as someone who is able to bridge gaps in diplomatic relations unlike any other. (Vatican Media/Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

He posited that «part of the problem in the Trump-pope battle was that the president was treating the pope too much as a politician.»

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«Popes, I think, are supposed to use the moral structure of the church’s teaching to move prudential judgment in the right direction,» he explained. «Now what’s a president’s responsibility? His responsibility is to make those prudential judgments.«

«Now here’s what I recommend: I think the leading Catholics inside the Trump administration, I mean people like JD Vance, like Marco Rubio, like Brian Burch, the [Vatican] ambassador, should sit down with their counterparts in the Vatican and they should have a real conversation about this.

«The church provides a moral framework. Terrific. Now, let’s have a real conversation with those whose job it is to make that decision but have it conditioned by this moral framework, that would be more fruitful.»

At least 23 people were killed and about 70 others wounded in a major attack Sunday morning after a suicide bomber targeted a passenger train in Pakistan, according to The Associated Press (AP).

The assault — in Quetta, the capital of southwestern Balochistan province — occurred when an explosives-laden vehicle detonated near a railway line as a passenger train passed, causing two train cars to overturn and catch fire. The region has long been the site of a low-level but persistent insurgency involving separatist and militant groups.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a militant separatist group fighting for the province’s secession from Pakistan, reportedly claimed responsibility, saying it was targeting a train carrying security personnel.

The Times of India reported that the train was carrying army personnel and family members traveling from Quetta to Peshawar for the Eid holidays; AP reported more generally that the BLA said it targeted a train carrying security personnel. The area is also known for having a strong security presence.

SUICIDE CAR BOMBER ATTACKS SCHOOL BUS IN PAKISTAN, KILLING AT LEAST 5 PEOPLE

The blast reportedly sent shockwaves through the area.

According to witness accounts and images circulating on social media, the force of the explosion caused two train cars to overturn and burst into flames, sending thick black smoke into the sky, The AP said. Nearby buildings were also heavily damaged, and more than a dozen parked vehicles were impacted, the outlet added.

Several victims were reportedly transported to local hospitals. Among the wounded, about 20 were reported to be in critical condition, according to doctors cited by The AP.

PHOTOS CAPTURE DEVASTATION AFTER CHILE TRUCK EXPLOSION KILLS AT LEAST 4, DAMAGES AT LEAST 50 VEHICLES

A volunteer assists a survivor scaling the side of a severely damaged, overturned train car after a reported militant attack struck a rail line in Quetta, Pakistan, on May 24, 2026. (Arshad Butt/AP Photo)

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack, calling it a «cowardly act of terrorism» and saying that those responsible would be brought to justice.

«I strongly condemn the heinous bomb explosion near Chaman Phatak, Quetta, which has resulted in the tragic loss of innocent lives and left many others injured. Such cowardly acts of terrorism cannot weaken the resolve of the people of Pakistan. We remain steadfast in our determination to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,» he said.

«I express my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and pray for the swift recovery of the injured. The entire nation stands in solidarity with the people of Balochistan in this hour of grief.»

INDIA VOWS TO HUNT TERRORISTS ‘TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH’ AS TENSIONS WITH PAKISTAN RISE AFTER KASHMIR ATTACK

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti alleged that the group is supported by Indian-sponsored proxies aimed at destabilizing Pakistan. The two countries have long been locked in a bitter dispute over territorial claims in Kashmir, though India has consistently denied such accusations.

«The terrorists of Fitna Al-Hindustan are proving their savagery by targeting innocent civilians, women, and children,» Bugti said, describing the group as «evil originating from India.»

Bystanders attend to victims on a railway track following reports of a deadly suicide vehicle bombing targeting a passenger train in Quetta, Pakistan, on May 24, 2026. (Arshad Butt/AP Photo)

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«Those who shed the blood of innocent people deserve no leniency. Let the enemy hear this: there will be no safe haven left for terrorists in Balochistan. We will hunt down the terrorists, their facilitators, and their masterminds one by one and bring them to justice, and this war will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated.»

The BLA has increasingly carried out large-scale suicide operations targeting Pakistani security forces and infrastructure in Quetta, according to The Times of India.

In 2024, at least 26 people, including soldiers, were killed in a suicide bombing at a train station in Balochistan.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

El engaño y la falsificación de documentos para apropiarse de una finca que pertenecía a siete adultos mayores fue suficiente para que una abogada de nacionalidad panameña fuera condenada a 12 años de prisión.

La Procuraduría General de la Nación, a través de su Fiscalía Regional de Chiriquí, logró probar en un juicio oral la responsabilidad penal de la imputada con los delitos de estafa y contra la fe pública en la modalidad de falsificación de documentos públicos.

Un vez concluida la pena principal a la condenada igualmente se le inhabilitó para ejercer la profesión de abogada por cinco años, además de la restitución de las propiedades a las víctimas.

Para lograr la pena la Fiscalía mostró al menos 50 pruebas, entre testimoniales, periciales, documentales y materiales, lo que permitió que el Tribunal de Juicio emitirá de manera unánime el fallo condenatorio.

La causa penal está relacionada con hechos acaecidos en la comunidad de Bongo, en el distrito de Bugaba, provincia de Chiriquí, cuando mediante engaño y la falsificación de documentos la abogada hoy condenada logró apropiarse de la finca.

Por otro lado, las autoridades llevaron ante el Tribunal de Garantías a un hombre de 34 años de edad a quien se le legalizó su aprehensión, la imputación por el delito de violencia de género y la aplicación de la medida cautelar de detención provisional, por su vinculación al delito de violencia de género en perjuicio de dos mujeres.

Sobre el caso, el Ministerio Público indicó que los hechos ocurrieron de forma reiterada los días 18, 23, 25 de marzo y el 7 de abril del año en curso.

Durante ese tiempo el sujeto, que laboraba como agente de seguridad en un colegio privado, ubicado en el corregimiento Rufina Alfaro, enviaba mensajes de amenazas a las víctimas quienes brindaban el servicio de colegial en el mismo centro educativo.

El imputado, de acuerdo con el informe judicial, las humillaba diciéndoles palabras soeces y les advertía que las golpearía e incluso les envió un mensaje diciendo “las quiero muertas”.

Durante el desarrollo de la audiencia, el Ministerio Público sustentó la solicitud de detención provisional basándose en los riesgos procesales existentes, tales como el peligro que representa el imputado para las víctimas, el riesgo de afectación de los medios de prueba y la naturaleza grave del delito.

La Procuraduría General de la Nación, mediante su Fiscalía Regional, en colaboración con la Policía Nacional, la Dirección de Investigación Judicial, Dirección de Inteligencia Policial y Servicio Nacional de Fronteras, también desarrolló la operación, Barú, en la provincia de Chiriquí, fronteriza con Costa Rica.

Esta permitió la aprehensión de dos personas, la incautación de más de 100 envoltorios de sustancias ilícitas, equipos tecnológicos (13 celulares, dos router) así como también indicios presuntamente relacionados con delitos contra el patrimonio económico en la modalidad de hurto de vehículos.

Según la información oficial, las diligencias se llevaron a cabo en la cárcel pública de la capital chiricana, David, dentro de dos celdas.

Además, en los distritos de Barú, Bugaba y Alanje se recuperaron 27 tarjetas Sim, pesa digital y documentos que pudieran estar vinculados también con la causa penal.

Las investigaciones establecen que las víctimas eran contactadas por los presuntos agresores y mediante diferentes estrategias delincuenciales se apropiaban de sus automóviles.

A través de esta operación, la Fiscalía informó que espera poder establecer, con los indicios con que se cuentan, si existen algunas otras personas más vinculadas en esta investigación.