The exchange was brief, but it was revealing.

When Speaker Mike Johnson was recently asked about Pope Leo’s rhetoric criticizing border enforcement and America’s immigration policies, he didn’t respond with talking points, partisan slogans, or political spin. He responded with Scripture.

Specifically, he cited Romans 13 — a passage that has anchored Christian teaching on civil authority for nearly two thousand years — reminding listeners that government is instituted by God to restrain evil and promote order. In other words: borders matter. Law matters. Order matters. And caring about them is not a betrayal of Christian compassion. It is an expression of it.

That response, reported by Fox News, was thoughtful, grounded, and biblically consistent. And it stands in sharp contrast to much of what passes today for “faith-based” commentary on immigration.

 Which brings us, respectfully, to Pope Leo.

As the spiritual leader of more than a billion Catholics worldwide, his words carry enormous moral weight. When he speaks about migrants, borders, and national responsibility, he is not simply offering a private opinion. He is shaping consciences.

And in this case, he should know better. Christian compassion does not mean open borders. It never has. Scripture is clear on two parallel truths that must be held together, not pitted against each other.

First: Human beings are made in God’s image. They deserve dignity. They deserve mercy. They deserve care.

Second: God ordains civil authority to establish boundaries, enforce laws, and restrain chaos.

Both are true. Always.

The Bible does not present compassion and order as opposites. It presents them as partners.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%2013&version=KJV teaches that governing authorities are “God’s servants” tasked with maintaining justice. Proverbs warns that a society without boundaries invites destruction. Nehemiah rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls precisely so that vulnerable people would be protected. Even in the New Testament, cities had gates. Nations had borders.

We need fewer sermons built on feelings and more built on truth. We need compassion anchored in wisdom. And we need church leaders who remember that moral clarity is not cruelty. It is love.

So to Pope Leo, with respect: do better. Not louder. Not softer. Better. Better grounded. Better informed. Better aligned with the Word you are called to defend.

And to Speaker Johnson: thank you for reminding the country that faith and facts still belong in the same sentence. In times like these, that takes courage. And conviction. Both are in short supply.

Both are desperately needed.

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