BALTIMORE — Catholic bishops of the United States issued a rare "Special Message" about immigration, the first time since 2013 that the bishops have invoked a particularly urgent way of speaking as a body.

"We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement," the bishops wrote.

"We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care. We lament that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status."

This message came from a fall meeting in Baltimore of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

In a vote of 216 votes in favor, 5 votes against, and 3 abstentions, the bishops overwhelmingly approved the Special Message.

"We are troubled by threats against the sanctity of houses of worship and the special nature of hospitals and schools," the bishops' statement said. "We are grieved when we meet parents who fear being detained when taking their children to school and when we try to console family members who have already been separated from their loved ones."

"We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people," the bishops wrote. "We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement.

"We pray that the Lord may guide the leaders of our nation, and we are grateful for past and present opportunities to dialogue with public and elected officials. In this dialogue, we will continue to advocate for meaningful immigration reform."