LIVE w/ Jim Pfaff: Pope Leo XIV, Immigration, and the Judeo-Christian Ethic
Published: May 09, 2025
Network: The Conservative Caucus
Analysis: Conservative Caucus President Jim Pfaff
The election of America’s first pope, Leo XIV, has sparked renewed debate about immigration policy and religious influence in politics, but the deeper question remains whether church leadership will uphold the Judeo-Christian ethic that has defined Western civilization for millennia. In a wide-ranging discussion, Jim Pfaff of The Conservative Caucus examined the new pontiff’s background, his criticisms of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, and why the Judeo-Christian ethic must remain the foundation for conservative policymaking regardless of ecclesiastical pressures.
Topics Covered
- America’s First Pope: What We Know About Leo XIV
- The Pope’s Immigration Stance and Conservative Policy
- Progressive Infiltration of Christian Leadership
- The Judeo-Christian Ethic as Foundation for Freedom
- Why Islamic Culture Cannot Provide Western Freedom
- Key Takeaways
America’s First Pope: What We Know About Leo XIV
The white smoke rising from the Vatican chimney announced a historic moment: Cardinal Robert from Chicago has become Pope Leo XIV, the first American to hold the office of pontiff. As Pfaff noted, this represents a significant shift in a papacy long dominated by Italian leadership, with only recent diversions to Poland, Germany, and Argentina.
The new pope’s background raises both hopes and concerns among conservatives. Leo XIV is an Augustinian monk, a religious order traditionally associated with more conservative theological positions. However, his decade-plus of work in Latin America and his close relationship with Pope Francis suggest potential continuity with progressive church policies rather than a return to traditional doctrine.
“He’s being portrayed as a kind of a bridge between the conservative wing of things in the church and the Pope Francis wing of things. He spent some time in Latin America for about 10 plus years. That’s my concern about liberation theology.”
— Jim Pfaff, President, The Conservative Caucus
Liberation theology, which emerged in Latin America and often blends Marxist economic analysis with Christian teaching, remains a significant concern for conservatives who see it as incompatible with free-market principles and individual liberty. Pope Leo XIV’s extensive experience in the region where this movement flourished raises questions about his economic and social policy positions.
The Pope’s Immigration Stance and Conservative Policy
Even before his elevation to the papacy, the future Leo XIV had criticized both President Trump and Vice President Vance regarding immigration enforcement policies. This puts him in line with Pope Francis’s approach, which often emphasized compassion for migrants while downplaying national sovereignty and border security concerns.
Pfaff was unequivocal in his response to potential papal criticism of Trump administration immigration policies: the president should “very graciously or if necessary with force just reject that.” The reasoning is straightforward—good policy must be based on biblical principles, not on the political preferences of religious leaders who may themselves be influenced by progressive ideologies.
The Biblical Case for Immigration Enforcement
Contrary to progressive religious rhetoric, Pfaff emphasized that “there’s not a pro-immigration anything in scripture even though people are twisting that theologically.” Biblical principles support national sovereignty, the rule of law, and ordered immigration processes—not open borders or unlimited migration that undermines national cohesion and security.
The discussion highlighted a crucial distinction: respecting religious leaders does not mean subordinating national policy to their political preferences, especially when those preferences may be influenced by non-religious ideological movements.
Progressive Infiltration of Christian Leadership
One of the most alarming revelations in the conversation concerned the documented financial connections between progressive billionaires and Christian institutions. Pfaff referenced Megan Basham’s book “Shepherds for Sale,” which exposed how figures like George Soros and eBay founder Pierre Omidyar have funded efforts to influence both Protestant and Catholic church leadership toward progressive political positions.
These connections aren’t merely theoretical. George Soros’s documented ties to Pope Francis’s inner circle suggest an organized effort to shift Christian teaching on issues like immigration, economics, and social policy away from traditional positions and toward progressive activism.
“There is a progressive movement in both the Protestant church movement and the Catholic church movement that we need to be working against… There were George Soros’s connections to Pope Francis beforehand. I’m guessing those are likely to continue in at some level in this pope unless he just happens to be a reformer in a manner we haven’t seen yet.”
— Jim Pfaff, President, The Conservative Caucus
The implications are significant: when religious leaders speak on political issues, conservatives must discern whether they’re articulating genuine biblical principles or whether they’ve been influenced by secular progressive funding and ideology. This doesn’t mean dismissing religious voices, but it does require critical evaluation of their positions against scripture itself.
The Judeo-Christian Ethic as Foundation for Freedom
The conversation turned to a fundamental question: what makes Western civilization unique in its commitment to human freedom and dignity? Pfaff’s answer was unambiguous—the Judeo-Christian ethic is “the only basis upon which to build a free society.”
This isn’t merely a religious assertion but a historical observation. Even America’s founding generation included deists and non-traditional believers like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, yet they recognized that the Judeo-Christian ethic provided the moral framework necessary for a free republic. Thomas Paine, despite being an atheist, still believed scripture was “a useful moral teaching tool.”
The distinction between the founders’ approach and modern secular morality is crucial. The founders, whether personally religious or not, understood that Western concepts of justice, human dignity, individual rights, and limited government all emerged from the Judeo-Christian ethic. Modern secular progressives often advocate for “morality” while rejecting or ignoring the religious foundations that make their moral concepts coherent.
Tom Holland’s Secular Affirmation
Pfaff cited historian Tom Holland, a secular scholar who documented how Christianity fundamentally transformed Western civilization from Roman barbarism to a culture that valued human dignity, built hospitals, and developed concepts of universal justice. Holland’s research demonstrates that even non-believers can recognize Christianity’s unique civilizational contribution—you don’t have to be a Christian to acknowledge that the Judeo-Christian ethic created the foundations of freedom.
This historical reality has profound implications for contemporary politics. Policies that align with the Judeo-Christian ethic—protecting life, upholding the family, maintaining national sovereignty, promoting individual responsibility—aren’t merely “religious” positions but are the foundations that have made Western freedom possible.
Why Islamic Culture Cannot Provide Western Freedom
The discussion addressed a growing trend on parts of the political right: the suggestion that Islam has contributed similarly to Christianity in developing Western values and freedom. Pfaff and his host firmly rejected this equivalence.
While acknowledging that Islam is technically an Abrahamic faith drawing from Old Testament sources, Pfaff noted a crucial historical divergence. During the medieval period, Islamic culture did produce significant philosophical work attempting to integrate Aristotelian thought, but “it was quickly shut down by Islamic culture sometime in the late middle ages.”
Since that suppression of philosophical inquiry, Islamic governance has been characterized by attempts to control society rather than create frameworks for freedom. The Judeo-Christian ethic, by contrast, built “a philosophical framework for freedom so that people could pursue God with their hearts” rather than through state coercion.
“You can’t trust the Islamic faith to provide freedom for society. The Judeo-Christian ethic is the only place where that has happened and literally for thousands of years, for millennia, that’s been the case.”
— Jim Pfaff, President, The Conservative Caucus
The evidence supports this assessment. Wherever Islamic states maintain control, liberalization remains minimal or nonexistent. Even Saudi Arabia’s recent modest reforms are primarily “trying to pitch to the west and build better connections” rather than reflecting genuine internal commitment to freedom and human rights.
The conversation also addressed the reality of “Islamic colonialism” in Europe, where mass migration has led to cultural conflict, increased violence, and the erosion of European Christian heritage. Pfaff expressed hope that Pope Leo XIV would “bring an element of leadership out of kindness and compassion of course to protect a lot of European, African and American Christians, Jews and non-believers from this onslaught.”
Key Takeaways
- America’s First Pope Brings Uncertainty – Pope Leo XIV’s Augustinian background suggests potential conservatism, but his Latin American experience and ties to Pope Francis raise concerns about continued progressive influence in church leadership.
- Immigration Policy Must Follow Scripture, Not Papal Politics – Conservative leaders should respectfully but firmly maintain immigration enforcement policies based on biblical principles of national sovereignty and the rule of law, regardless of ecclesiastical criticism.
- Progressive Billionaires Are Funding Church Influence Campaigns – Documented financial connections between figures like George Soros and church leadership reveal organized efforts to shift Christian institutions toward progressive political positions.
- The Judeo-Christian Ethic Is Foundational to Freedom – Western concepts of liberty, justice, and human dignity all emerge from the Judeo-Christian tradition, a reality recognized even by the non-religious among America’s founders and contemporary secular historians.
- Islam Has Not Produced Similar Freedoms – Despite attempts to claim equivalence, Islamic governance has consistently emphasized societal control rather than individual freedom, and wherever Islamic states dominate, liberalization remains absent or minimal.
- Cultural Christianity Without Faith Is Insufficient – While appreciation for Christian cultural contributions is positive, the rise of “cultural Christians” who adopt Christian aesthetics without genuine faith represents a shallow foundation for preserving Western civilization’s values.
- Conservative Policy Requires Theological Discernment – Christians and conservatives must evaluate religious leaders’ political statements against scripture itself, recognizing that even popes can be influenced by non-religious ideological pressures.
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About The Conservative Caucus:
The Conservative Caucus is a grassroots public policy action organization, formed in 1974. Headed by President Jim Pfaff, the Caucus is committed to advancing free enterprise, limited government, and traditional values.
Originally broadcast May 09, 2025 on The Conservative Caucus.
Peter J. Thomas is a veteran conservative political strategist and seasoned policy expert dedicated to upholding the principles of the Constitution and democracy. As a founder and the chairman of the Conservative Caucus, he has played a pivotal role in promoting and shaping the conservative agenda across the nation for over half a century.