Rusty’s latest is a consideration of the Church in the era of mass migration. To read the writings of Pope Francis, “a magisterium of sentimental slogans,” and Pope Leo’s recently issued apostolic exhortation is to get the sense that “those opposed to unlimited migration are enemies of Christ.” Sure, the documents allow for a nuanced reading—there are caveats about obeying laws—but the Church does not address the ethics of deportation or repatriation in an intellectually serious manner.

Rusty concludes with the hope that the Church will not repeat the mistakes of the 19th century, when it worked for the restoration of an unsalvageable ancien régime. Today, the Church threatens to wed itself to an unsalvagable regime of open borders and open society. The world needs guidance for a new era; the Church should provide it.

For further reading: First Things has published extensively on these topics. What does it look like when a native European group is displaced by migrants? Read Louise Perry’s November essay, “Indigenous London.” What is the “order of love” and how does it relate to immigration? Read James Orr’s “JD Vance States the Obvious About Ordo Amoris.” Why is pro-immigration sentiment an elite phenomenon? Read Matthew Schmitz’s May 2019 article, “Immigration Idealism.” And, for another analysis of how mealy-mouthed sloganeering is of no use to the faithful, I wrote “I Fear I Hate the Homeless.”

In a moving memorial to the late, great quarterback John Unitas, columnist George Weigel takes a look at what sportsmanship says about a society. He writes that the “deterioration of our games is part and parcel of the deterioration of our culture. And as politics is downstream from culture, end-zone ridiculousness and similar self-aggrandizing debaucheries in other forms of entertainment have inevitably leaked into politics like a poison.”

Upcoming Events

• Today: The December Issue Goes Live | Read here.
• January 9, 2026: Second Annual Neuhaus Lecture at the New College of Florida | Sarasota, FL. Details coming soon.

Until next time.

JACOB AKEY

Associate Editor