The Trump administration “immediately terminated” its contract with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for refugee resettlement, effective Feb. 27, according to letters issued by the U.S. State Department a day earlier.

Areas for possible dialogue between the church and the Trump administration included anti-human-trafficking efforts, the status of Dreamers and the right of a nation to control its borders.

“The conference suddenly finds itself unable to sustain its work to care for the thousands of refugees who were welcomed into our country and assigned to the care of the USCCB by the government after being granted legal status.”

We cannot wish away reality with counterfactual speculation--nor should we try.

Pope Francis’s letter poses an implicit question to the whole church in the United States: Will we subject our political debates on immigration to the scrutiny of the Gospel or not?

Archbishop Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, thanked Pope Francis and said the bishops join the pontiff in prayer that “families suffering from the sudden withdrawal of aid may find the strength to endure.”