House Speaker Mike Johnson was criticized after he tried to school Pope Leo XIV on the Bible after the Pope criticized President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown and urged legislators to make sure immigrants' "spiritual rights" are being respected.
The Pope, responding to the news that Catholic migrants detained in Chicago have been denied access to Holy Communion, stressed that “the role of the Church is to preach the Gospel."
He went on to cite the Book of Matthew, adding:
“Jesus says very clearly: At the end of the world, we're going to be asked, how did you receive the foreigner? Did you receive him, and welcome him, or not?”
“I would certainly invite the authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to the needs [of detained migrants]. Many times they've been separated from their families for a good amount of time. No one knows what's happening … but their own spiritual needs should be attended to.”
Shortly afterward, a reporter approached Johnson at the Capitol and asked him how he would "respond to Pope Leo in scripture." Johnson replied with a defense of the immigration crackdown, saying he sees the Bible as "a calling to maintain order in society."
He said:
"So you want me to give you a theological dissertation? Borders and walls are biblical. From the Old Testament to the New, God has allowed us to set up our civil societies and have separate nations."
"Immigration is not something that's frowned upon in Scripture. In fact, it's welcome. We're to welcome the sojourner and love our neighbor as ourselves."
"But what's also important in the Bible is that assimilation is expected and anticipated and proper. When people cite passages out of the Old Testament, they say, well, you're supposed to take care of the sojourner and the neighbor, treat them as yourself, welcome them in. Yes, but that is an admonition to individuals, not to the civil authorities."
"The civil authorities are given authority under Scripture to maintain order. Romans 13 says that the civil authorities are God's agents of wrath to bring punishment upon the wrongdoer. And it says, if you do right, you have no fear of the civil authorities, but those civil authorities are necessary." ...
"Sovereign borders are biblical and good and right, and they're just because — it's not because we hate the people on the outside, it's because we love the people on the inside. We should love our neighbors ourselves as individuals, but as a civil authority, and the government has to maintain the law."
"And that is biblical, and it's right, and it's just. And I'm happy to have this lengthy debate with anybody and at the time they want to."
You can hear what Johnson said in the video below.
That's not at all what the Bible says about "loving thy neighbor" so people weren't too impressed with Johnson's attempts to explain scripture to—*checks notes*—the Pope, of all people.
Johnson has previously cited the Bible as the source of his "worldview" and urged members of the media to turn to scripture to understand his stance on social and political issues.
For instance, in his first remarks after being elected Speaker in October 2023, Johnson delivered a speech emphasizing his belief in divine ordination, drawing upon "Scripture" and "the Bible" to assert that God is responsible for raising up those in authority.
Johnson expressed his conviction that his election, along with the other members of Congress, was not a coincidence but a divine plan. He urged his colleagues to recognize their significant responsibility and use their God-given gifts to serve the nation's people.
He might want to study that holy book again.
Turning Point USA
