In the heart of a public debate marked by slogans and polarizations, Pope Leo XIV intervenes with a clear and rooted position in the Social Doctrine of the Church: States have the right to regulate their own borders, but always respecting human dignity and universal moral principles. A message that invites us to overcome ideological simplifications to regain balance, responsibility and humanity in migration policies.
In the context of a public debate often distorted and polarized on immigration, Pope Leo XIV chose to intervene with clear and distinct words, recalling the fundamental principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church and underlining the respect of human dignity as an indispensable pillar. During a meeting with journalists coming from Villa Barberini to Castelgandolfo, the Pope addressed the issue of borders and migration policies, offering a balanced perspective that surpasses the simplifications often present in the public debate.
A call to reality and to the responsibility of States
Leo XIV firmly reiterated that “there are no open borders” and that each country has the right to decide who enters and under what conditions, always in respect of the dignity of persons. “I believe that we must seek ways to treat people with humanity, dealing with the dignity they have,” said the Pope, underlining that there are judicial systems and legal instruments to manage migration flows, and that security issues are not in contradiction with respect for human rights.
The call to the Catechism and the Social Doctrine of the Church
The Pope recalled that this position is not a personal opinion, but is based on established principles of the Magisterium. Citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church (No. 2241), Leo XIV pointed out that “the most prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent possible, to welcome the foreigner”, protecting him and protecting him from abuse. The Social Doctrine calls on the regulation of migration flows, border management and the application of policies that combine security and respect for human dignity.
A balance between security and humanity
The Pope then recalled the words of predecessors such as John Paul II and Pope Francis, stressing that the regulation of migration flows is not equivalent to total closure, but to responsible and human management. “No one said that the United States should have open borders,” added Leo XIV, “but there are ways to deal with people with humanity.” The papal position highlights the importance of avoiding ideological simplifications, preferring an approach that protects both the rights of migrants and the interests of nations.
International policies and humanity
The Pope also recalled the indications of the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church and of the encyclical Caritas in Veritate of Benedict XVI, highlighting the need for international co-ordinated policies, capable of protecting the rights of migrants and families, and of countering the mercification of persons. People are not numbers or pawns of a political game, but subjects with rights and dignity.
A teaching without hardship
The intervention of Leo XIV does not aim to stand against anyone, nor to enter into the ideological debate of the United States or other countries. It is a call to the moral and spiritual roots of the Social Doctrine, an invitation to address the issue of migration with responsibility, balance and respect for the human being. In times of screaming slogans and often desperate polarizations, this position is perhaps one of the most revolutionary messages: the return to the essential, to the truth of the Gospel applied to the complexity of the world today.
Leo XIV, with its clarity and firmness, recalls that the true challenge is neither indiscriminate openness nor total closure, but a balance that protects the safety and dignity of all. Every country decides who enters, yes, but always respecting the human person and universal moral principles. A teaching that, more than ever, invites us to overcome simplifications and to look at the complexity of reality with eyes of justice and mercy.
The article Pope Leo XIV: “Every country decides who enters, but respecting human dignity” comes from IlNewyorkese.
