'Open borders'—Leo XIV's Pentecost sermon (taking aim at JD Vance?)
What does it mean for Leo XIV to say 'The Spirit opens borders'—and why did he repeat this phrase like a mantra in his Pentecost sermon?
(WM Reports) – In his Pentecost homily on Sunday 8 June 2025, Leo XIV invoked the Holy Ghost as the agent of “open borders.”
The sermon mentioned the mantra of “open borders” 10-12 times, depending on how one counts (see below), as well as referring to the Bergoglian themes of “narcissism”, “rigidity” and “fraternity.”
The sermon itself was an exegesis of Benedict XVI, delivered on Pentecost in 2005. One of the quotes mostly widely shared on social media from Leo’s sermon was explicitly drawn from Benedict. This attribution was absent in the social media memes.
“The Spirit opens borders, first of all, in our hearts,” Prevost began, before moving to broader targets. He spoke of “opening borders in our relationship with others,” of “broadening the borders of our relationships,” and of “open borders between peoples.”
He presented the classical understanding of Pentecost as a reversal of the Tower of Babel, claiming that “the confusion of Babel was finally resolved by the harmony brought about by the Spirit.”
However, he applied this true understanding of Babel to modern political situations in a way which was not in favour of Catholic orthodoxy.
Quoting Benedict XVI, he said: “She must open the borders between peoples and break down the barriers between class and race. In her, there cannot be those who are neglected or disdained.”
Developing these ideas, he spoke of “overcoming our rigidity, moving beyond our fear of those who are different, and mastering the passions that stir within.”
“The Spirit,” he said, “also transforms those deeper, hidden dangers that disturb our relationships, like suspicion, prejudice or the desire to manipulate others.”
He became even more explicit in the application of his “open borders” theme to contemporary politics: “Where there is love, there is no room for prejudice, for “security” zones separating us from our neighbors, for the exclusionary mindset that, tragically, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms.”
Ending his sermon with a prayer, he called for the Holy Ghost to “open borders, break down walls, dispel hatred and help us to live as children of our one Father who is in heaven.”
Prevost vs. Vance
The mantra of “open borders” and his reference to contemporary “political nationalisms” cannot help but recall then-Cardinal Prevost’s twitter engagement with US Vice President JD Vance on immigration policy.
In January 2025 Fox News Interview, Vance was asked about illegal immigrants and immigration. He replied as follows:
There is something very deranged in the mind of the far left in this country, where I really do think they feel more of a sense of compassion for illegal aliens who have no right to be in this country than they do for their fellow citizens.
As an American leader, but also just as an American citizen, your compassion belongs first to your fellow citizens.”
It doesn’t mean that you hate people from outside of your own borders, but there is this old school – and I think it’s a very Christian concept, by the way – you love your family, and then you love neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country and then, after that, you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world.
A lot of the far-left has completely inverted that, they seem to hate the citizens of their own country and care more about people outside their own borders. That is no way to run a society.
And I think the profound difference that Donald Trump brings to the leadership of this country is the simple concept: America First. It doesn't mean you hate anybody else, it means that you have leadership—and President Trump has been very clear about this—that puts the interests of American citizens first.
And in the same way that the British Prime Minister should care about Brits, and the French should care about the French, we have an American president who cares primarily about Americans. And that’s a very welcome change.1
These comments prompted a backlash. Vance defended himself by referring to the concept of the “ordo amoris” (order of love) found in Catholic authorities such as St Thomas Aquinas and St Augustine. He also said:
Aside from that, the idea that there isn’t a hierarchy of obligations violates basic common sense. Does Rory [Stewart] really think his moral duties to his own children are the same as his duties to a stranger who lives thousands of miles away? Does anyone?
The controversy prompted then-Cardinal Prevost to make his opinions known. He retweeted an National Catholic Reporter article titled: ‘JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.’ This article rejected the “ordo amoris” on the grounds that “it feeds the myth that some people are more deserving of our care than others.”
Prevost’s twitter account was deleted after his election.
Vance, now Trump’s vice president, has been a leading voice for immigration restrictions and a renewed focus on national identity. Leo’s sermon appears to be an indirect and pseudo-theological rebuke to Vance and others of the same mind.
While Vance is on record as being in favour of access to chemical abortion and abortion pills—which make up over 60% of US abortions—Prevost does not appear to have indicated his displeasure with him on this matter.
Not that Leo has been reticent about expressing his other political opinions. In May 2025, he expressed support for the UN’s COP30 Climate Change conference, taking up the concept of “ecological debt” and speaking about “ecological, social and environmental justice.”
In 2023, prior to his election, he spoke in favour of Cardinal Bernardin’s “seamless garment” approach, claiming that “a Catholic cannot truly claim to be “pro-life” by maintaining a stance against abortion while simultaneously advocating in favor of the death penalty.”
Prevost expressed this opinion about the death penalty on several other occasions. However, the per se legitimacy of capital punishment is a dogma of the Catholic faith.
What the Church teaches about immigration
While the Church recognises a natural right for to migrate and colonise uncultivated land, this right is justly limited and administered by the positive law of a nation state.
Recognising such a right—and even rebuking nations whose positive law is too restrictive in the face of given circumstances—is very different to modern programmes of open borders, and mass immigration. In such circumstances, it is legitimate for nations to protect their borders and limit migration.
As such, when Leo XIV says that “the Spirit opens borders” in the senses he evidently intended, Catholics are entitled to ask: Which Spirit?
We have explained the Church’s teaching on immigration, the “ordo amoris” and the civil authority’s duty towards its citizens elsewhere.
List of ‘Open Borders’ comments in Leo XIV’s Pentecost sermon
“In a word, at Pentecost, the doors of the Upper Room were opened because the Spirit opens borders.”
Quoting Benedict XVI: “The Spirit opens borders...”
Quoting Benedict XVI: “The Church must always become anew what she already is. She must open the borders between peoples and break down the barriers between class and race.”
“The Spirit opens borders, first of all, in our hearts”
“The Spirit opens our interior borders, so that our lives can become places of welcome and refreshment.”
“The Spirit also opens borders in our relationship with others.”
“In this way, the Spirit broadens the borders of our relationships and opens us to the joy of fraternity.”
“For we are truly the Church of the Risen Lord and disciples of Pentecost if there are no borders or divisions among us.”
“Finally, the Spirit also opens borders between peoples.”
“The Spirit breaks down barriers and tears down the walls of indifference and hatred because he ‘teaches us all things’ and ‘reminds us of Jesus’ words’ (cf. Jn 14:26)”
“Let us invoke the Spirit of love and peace, that he may open borders, break down walls, dispel hatred and help us to live as children of our one Father who is in heaven.”
“May the strong wind of the Spirit come upon us and within us, open the borders of our hearts…”
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Opening borders is an intermediate step en route to eliminating them altogether (ie., in preparation for the global superstate), just as in the Church ecumenism and the new ecclesiology of Lumen Gentium and Dominus Iesus are “open border” policies facilitating the inclusion of all, en route to the creation of the one-world religion.
One can see, therefore, that the occupiers of the Church have co-opted and subverted her mission, making her subservient to the globalist cabal, and preparing the terrain for the emergence of Antichrist.
Unfortunately (or thankfully), my comment is preaching to the choir in a venue such as this, but the rest of the world scoffs at such analyses. The consolation is that at least there are some few out there with the perspicacity to see what is happening, and this remnant will necessarily be the only corps from whom a resistance may be chosen. It will be our vocation, and for that reason we will be targeted.
Open borders are the destruction of a Nation and part of the Globalist UN agenda- complete communism which Our Lady warned us about