Thursday’s Morning Joe aired a chunk of video reporting by MS NOW’s Britt Miller on the latest statements made by Pope Leo XIV and the USA Convention of Catholic Bishops in regards to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.
The co-hosts had been fast to emphasise the Catholic authorities’ disapproval of the therapy of unlawful aliens whereas conveniently ignoring the Church’s acknowledgement of the necessity for border safety.
After watching a selectively edited clip of Leo’s Tuesday feedback and Miller’s piece, co-host Joe Scarborough attacked the Trump administration as opposite to Jesus:
I imply, the administration official stated the Pope is unsuitable. You[‘re] type of going in opposition to not solely the Pope, you are going in opposition to Jesus’s teachings all through your complete New Testomony. All I can say is sweet luck with that, taking it up with Jesus and taking it up with the Pope. And all the archbishops and so many monks. The New Testomony, the Gospel is so painfully clear that the Pope feels free to say, “Please do not name your self pro-life in case you’re in opposition to abortion, however you assist the inhumane therapy of those souls.”
This was in reference to the controversial remark made by Leo on September thirtieth, during which he questioned how one might think about themselves to be “pro-life” whereas concurrently in favor of how immigrants within the U.S. have been handled and the demise penalty.
That is the total remark made by Leo on Tuesday, which MS NOW lower off proper earlier than he denied calling for open borders (Click on “develop”):
Nicely, I’ve made some statements about that already. I respect very a lot what the bishops have stated. I feel it is an important assertion. I’d invite, particularly all Catholics, however individuals of goodwill to pay attention rigorously to what they stated. I feel we’ve got to search for methods of treating individuals humanely, treating individuals with the dignity that they’ve. If persons are in the USA illegally, there are methods to deal with that. There are courts, there is a system of justice. I feel there are a variety of issues within the system. Nobody has stated that the USA ought to have open borders. I feel each nation has a proper to find out who and the way and when individuals enter. However when persons are dwelling good lives, and lots of of them for 10, 15, 20 years, to deal with them in a approach that’s extraordinarily disrespectful to say the least, and there is been some violence sadly. I feel that the bishops have been um very clear in what they stated and I feel that — I’d simply invite all individuals in the USA to take heed to them. Thanks.
MS NOW additionally featured a clip from November 4th, during which the Pope “invited” authorities to permit pastoral employees to take care of the “non secular rights” of detained individuals.
Co-host Willie Geist swiped at President Trump’s Border Czar: “… in case you’re Tom Homan, what particularly is the Pope unsuitable about right here? Once you say the Catholic church is unsuitable […] what’s he unsuitable about? I feel he simply would not like that he is getting some blowback …”
For context, that is precisely what Homan stated when requested in regards to the Catholic Bishops’ assertion on November 14th (Click on “develop”):
So the message — so, in response to them, the message we must always ship to the entire world is that, “In the event you cross the border illegally, which is a criminal offense, don’t fear about it. In the event you get ordered eliminated by a federal decide after due course of, don’t fear about it, trigger there shouldn’t be mass deportations.” If that’s the message we ship to the entire world, persons are nonetheless placing themselves in hurt’s solution to come to the best nation on earth. They’re gonna spend their life financial savings and provides it to a prison cartel. And we noticed through the Biden administration, when there was no immigration enforcement, over 4,000 aliens died making that journey, historic report. Quarter million People died from fentanyl, historic report. Safe borders saves lives. I want the Catholic Church would perceive that. We’ve got the precise to safe our borders like they’ve the precise to safe their facility. You may’t enter their facility with out getting arrested. Matter of reality, their — the penalties for getting into their amenities are a lot worse than ours. So, you recognize, we’re gonna implement the legislation. And by doing that we’re saving a variety of lives. Safe borders saves lives. And nobody — one of many causes nobody talks about why we had probably the most safe border within the historical past of this nation is as a result of precisely what ICE is doing. ICE simply despatched a message to the entire world, “Don’t give your life financial savings to come back to nation, trigger you’re not gonna be launched. You’re not gonna cross the border illegally, you’re gonna be prosecuted.” So, the Catholic Church’s unsuitable. I’m sorry, I’m a lifelong Catholic. I’m saying it as not solely the Border Czar, I’ll say it as a Catholic. I feel they should spend time fixing the Catholic Church, in my view.
So Homan primarily based his disagreement on the truth that the open border endangered not solely U.S. residents, but in addition those that crossed the border illegally, in addition to the obvious hypocrisy when it comes to prosecuting trespassing.
The primary level of the USCCB’s “Particular Message,” which MS NOW highlighted, was as follows:
We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of individuals. We pray for an finish to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether or not directed at immigrants or at legislation enforcement.
Nonetheless, additionally included within the assertion (and never talked about by anybody on Morning Joe) was a recognition of a nationwide sovereignty’s obligation to immigration regulation:
We acknowledge that nations have a accountability to manage their borders and set up a simply and orderly immigration system for the sake of the widespread good. With out such processes, immigrants face the chance of trafficking and different types of exploitation. Secure and authorized pathways function an antidote to such dangers.
Scarborough once more invoked the teachings of Jesus and aligned Pope Leo with them: “Nicely, and it’s unambiguous, the phrases of Jesus, the purple letters. It is simply unambiguous. And so the Pope is standing on strong non secular floor.”
Co-host Jonathan Lemire ended the dialog by mentioning Leo’s predecessor: “Pope Francis […] spoke out about, type of, Trump’s immigration insurance policies within the first time period, significantly the youngsters within the cages and the like.”
In the event you’ll keep in mind, the “children in cages” controversy was truly on account of Obama-era immigration insurance policies.
Lemire returned to the sitting Pope and acclaimed his affect, “However there’s one thing distinctive about an American Pope, Pope Leo, who’s quieter than Francis, however very efficient in what he is saying, the messages are being heard.”
MS NOW misrepresented the Catholic Church’s stance on unlawful immigration enforcement. Whereas Catholic authorities have clearly disapproved of how ICE and the Border Patrol have performed physically-violent raids (which the leftist media has little doubt exaggerated), they’ve additionally acknowledged the necessity for border safety. Scarborough, who has cherished touting his Baptist upbringing, would do nicely to be extra trustworthy in his namesake’s protection.
The transcript is under. Click on “develop” learn:
MS NOW’s Morning Joe
November 20, 2025
6:53:55 a.m. EST
(…)
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: You may see from Britt’s reporting there, the Pope is leaning in on this.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Nicely, he is engaged. But additionally, Willie, the archbishops are engaged, monks are engaged. I imply, the administration official stated the Pope is unsuitable. You type of going in opposition to not solely the Pope, you are going in opposition to Jesus’s teachings all through your complete New Testomony. All I can say is sweet luck with that, taking it up with Jesus and taking it up with the Pope. And all the archbishops and so many monks. The New Testomony, the Gospel is so painfully clear that the Pope feels free to say, “Please do not name your self pro-life in case you’re in opposition to abortion, however you assist the inhumane therapy of those souls.”
WILLIE GEIST: Yeah, and what — in case you’re Tom Homan, what particularly is the Pope unsuitable about right here? Once you say the Catholic Church is unsuitable, what do you — what’s he unsuitable about? I feel he simply would not like that he is getting some blowback and it is past blowback. It is a united entrance. And I feel for lots of Catholics who’ve struggled during the last couple of many years with scandal and all that, this can be a very proud second —
BRZEZINSKI: Yeah.
GEIST: — as a result of they’re — they do not imagine that is political. That is Jesus’ instructing. That is from the Bible.
SCARBOROUGH: Proper.
GEIST: And the truth that the Pope is exhibiting management, this American pope who clearly understands immigration on this nation, the truth that he is taking the lead, it is a very vital second.
SCARBOROUGH: Nicely, and it’s unambiguous, the phrases of Jesus, the purple letters. It is simply unambiguous. And so the Pope is standing on strong non secular floor. And the query is, how is that this going to affect Catholics? And I feel we have seen some Protestant church buildings additionally beginning to go, “Nicely, we might have voted for the President, however we will not simply throw out every thing Jesus stated about defending these in want, and welcoming the foreigner and, you recognize, the Good Samaritan story.”
Mike Barnicle instructed us about being in mass final week and letter from the Pope being learn from the pulpit and the priest — after the priest ended, the viewers, the giving a standing ovation.
BRZEZINSKI: Wow.
JONATHAN LEMIRE: Yeah. Pope Francis —
BRZEZINSKI: It’s shifting.
LEMIRE: — spoke out about, type of, Trump’s immigration insurance policies within the first time period, significantly the youngsters within the cages and the like. However there’s one thing distinctive about an American Pope, Pope Leo, who’s quieter than Francis, however very efficient in what he is saying, the messages are being heard. And we’re seeing it in pulpits, but in addition in polling.
BRZEZINSKI: Yeah.
LEMIRE: People don’t like how this administration is dealing with immigrants and deportations.
(…)
