Speaker Mike Johnson addressed Pope Leo XIV’s critique of Trump-era immigration policies at a Feb. 3 press conference. He answered with Bible verses, and he later expanded his case in a long Facebook post. Mathew N. Schmalz argues that this response reflects Christian nationalism and warns that faith can become a tool of state power. Schmalz, a Roman Catholic, calls Johnson a brother in Christ, but says Johnson’s approach mirrors “the Christianity of the Roman Empire.”
A Protestant-leaning argument separates personal duty from government power
Johnson says critics on the “Left” misuse Leviticus 19:34, which commands love for the stranger. He argues hospitality binds individuals, not government, because the state exists to protect people in a dangerous world. Supporters see this as a coherent Christian case for borders, laws, and national sovereignty. They stress order, safety, and personal charity, and they resist framing enforcement as moral failure.
Scripture also demands risky hospitality, the author argues
Schmalz says Johnson’s proof texts ignore harder biblical narratives. He points to Judges, where hospitality becomes extreme and morally troubling because hosts risk their lives to protect guests. The point is not to praise cruelty, but to show that biblical hospitality can involve sacrifice. So, the author says Johnson cannot claim Scripture supports protection without cost.
Deportation methods raise unanswered moral questions
Detractors focus on how the state wields the “sword” Johnson links to Romans. The author asks about warrantless entry, children used to draw parents toward ICE, detained U.S. citizens, and violence against Americans exercising constitutional rights. Power can defend the vulnerable, but it can also harm them, and the author says means matter as much as ends.
Pope Leo XIV frames immigration through the common good and God’s kingdom
Schmalz contrasts Johnson with Pope Leo XIV, who stresses judgment based on treatment of “the least of these.” In Catholic teaching, government should serve the common good, and “common” implies shared fate. The essay links this to God’s kingdom, where Paul says divisions fall away. So the author argues Christians should witness now through mercy, not by using the state to define insiders and outsiders.
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Speaker Johnson’s response to Pope Leo reveals Christian nationalism
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