The problem with the president’s recent remarks is that he presents himself either as Christ or within the caricature of a religious warrior. Such borders on blasphemy and great care should be tendered as not to cross the line. Further, Trump largely uses the language of “ad hominem” attacks against persons, instead of focusing wholly upon the debate of ideas or policies. The Pope represents a universal Church, and while he is an American, no successor of Christ could ever subscribe to “America First” politics. He speaks for the children of the Church around the world and across all borders. The Vicar of Christ must advocate peace because he speaks for the Prince of Peace. He speaks for believers and for the needs of all in the family of man. The Church is sometimes a lone voice in crying out for the rights of the oppressed, the hurting, and the poor. If Jesus could forgive his murderers from the Cross— you and me— then his representative must also argue for mercy and compassion both here at home and on the world stage. The Church would not deny nations the right to defend themselves, but wholesale aggression and targeting the innocent or threatening genocide, all this is too much. Might does not make right. The ends does not justify the means. The Church judges such a stance as sinful.
The current tension emerges as a Christian nationalism is taking hold of the administration, even infecting Catholics. But make no mistake about it, from the Catholic perspective, Nationalism is morally wrong and sinful. Nationalism or “my country right or wrong” is an untenable moral stance and is inherently evil. It should not be confused with the virtue of Patriotism (love of one’s homeland) wherein we “support our country when she is right and correct her when she is wrong.”
Be careful about hero worship. We belong to the LORD. Americans of any inclination can argue politics and for or against military action, that is one’s own business and right of a lay person and citizen; but the teaching Church also has a right or duty to take sides in the great moral issues of our day. It is not about Trump. Despite what he thinks, the world does not revolve around him. It is about basic human dignity and the rights of all people to live in peace with others without intimidation and fear. We should not undermine the moral leadership of our shepherds, especially the one Christ made the ROCK of his Church and to whom he gave the keys to the Kingdom. Today, that is Pope Leo XIV. As true believers, we do not pray for blood, but for mercy and peace. Hate compromises the two-fold commandment of Christ.
The article from Frank Pavone linked below is correct that the Church often espouses moral principles that need to be applied by others. Thus, a secular leader like our president might be compelled to take military action against a clear and present danger from another nation. Such was the argument made by President Bush to invade Iraq, arguing that we had to take out weapons of mass destruction. Pope John Paul II had just previously recently received a delegation from Iraq and argued for peace. But it was admitted that the application of the moral principles rested with the secular leaders who were privy to all the pertinent information. That is where the tension between the Vatican and the White House should have remained over Iran. However, Trump took Pope Leo XIV’s pleas for peace as a personal attack against him and his judgment. Thus, he criticized the Pope as “weak on crime,” “terrible for foreign policy,” and admitted that he was “not a big fan” of the Pope. He falsely accused the Pope of thinking that it was “okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.” Trump even took credit for the papal election, saying on Truth Social, “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.” Does he really believe this? Would he expect the Pope to become his subservient lackey?
Pope Leo responded that he has “no fear of the Trump administration” and that he would continue to speak out against war and for the Gospel. The Holy Father labeled Trump’s threat to destroy the “whole civilization” of Iran as “truly unacceptable” and as a violation of international law.
Frank Pavone of PRIESTS FOR LIFE has weighed in and there is no denying the grudge he holds against the papacy for approving his removal from the active priesthood. Remember, he was rightly censured for disobedience first to one bishop and then to another, violating his sacred promise. I will never forget his offensive 2016 video where he placed an aborted fetus on a table, purportedly an altar, and offered a rant that mixed the pro-life cause with partisan politics. Despite his intent, such an act devalued a human life as a prop for his campaign and “apparently” desecrated the altar. This act that the bishop judged as sacrilege was also a strike against his practical judgment. Like Trump, today he has no standing in the Church to judge the Pope. There are other reasons that precipitated his laicization, but they are not public and I would refrain from saying anything about them as the man needs to continue in rebuilding his life.
I would neither look to a lapsed Presbyterian president nor to a disgraced Catholic priest for a rebuttal of the Pope’s moral teachings. Remember, that Pavone has skin in the game as an outspoken supporter of Trump and thus is not a neutral voice in this controversy. He chose a long time ago to place partisan politics over his vocation as a diocesan priest. Yes, Pavone’s initial advocacy for Trump was because of the president’s strong “pro-life” stand but now the president has flipped and has made himself the great champion for IVF. Between 1.6 to 1.9 million IVF embryos are created annually in the U.S. Half die in the process. Multiple embryos per patient (often 7–8) are created, some are frozen and about 100,000 babies are allowed to be born annually. The rest are frozen or discarded. Trump fails to understand that this is morally the same as abortion. Millions of innocent human lives are stolen because people are reduced to commodities!
Pavone is correct that immigrants should come in legally and that our laws should be enforced. The Church always urges following just laws. However, what he dismisses is the need for compassion about the desperation of many who have known persecution and dire poverty. Instead of rushing to deport all that are here, could we do a better job of helping good people and struggling families to enculturate and to become valued members of American society? Instead, of saying this, Pavone sided with the harsh tactics of ICE against the Pope and bishops, invoking a partisan allegation toward “the DNC-loyal Cardinals on 60 Minutes.” It is wrong to insinuate that any bishop or a Pope, liberal not, is a puppet to one of our reigning political parties. The Gospel is not the exclusive property of either!
Pavone writes: “When the Pope or bishops express an opinion on a prudential judgment made by public officials elected precisely to make those decisions, anyone is free to disagree with that opinion, and such disagreement is fully consistent both with respect for the Church and with being a faithful Catholic.” Did he see the A.I. of Trump as Jesus Christ? Does he believe it is okay to threaten a whole People with extermination? Pete Hegseth, our Secretary for War, prayed to God the following: “Break the teeth of the ungodly. Pour out your wrath upon those who plot vain things. . . and grant overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.” While certain Protestants might approve of a prayer reflecting an Old Testament bloodlust, it clashes with the new dispensation. Pope Leo quoted the great prophet of the promised messiah, “Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood” (Isaiah 1:15). While ours is a God of justice and mercy, we should be wary of invoking his vengeance.
Yes, there can be disputes about prudential decisions. But voices other than the Pope are urging us to be wary about committing war crimes. Pavone denies that Trump and his administration would target innocent people for destruction.
Pavone accuses the Pope of ambiguity when he says we should not wage war. Pavone suggests we are coming to the defense of the innocent. Really? Regime change was looking ever more likely in Iran until we intervened. Now even those who were looking favorably to the West are siding with the defenders of Iran.
Strike Number 1 — While Pope Leo XIV called for the safeguarding of human rights and the caring for the needs of the poor in Venezuela, he expressed “deep concern” about the abduction of Nicolás Maduro by U. S. military forces. The Holy Father urged respect for Venezuelan sovereignty, the rule of law, and a peaceful resolution. This criticism upset Trump.
Strike Number 2 — Pope Leo XIV was saddened and mourned further bloodshed after civilians and parishioners were killed from an Israeli military strike upon the Holy Family Catholic Church compound in Gaza. Like his predecessor, the Pope renewed his plea for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and humanitarian aid. The Gaza is rubble. 75,000 plus people have died. 171,000 people were injured. 2% of Gaza’s child population has been killed, including some 1,009 babies under one year old. 42,000 children have been injured, with over 21,000 suffering permanent disabilities. Thousands are orphans from military action. All this is the response to 250 abductions and the killing of 1,200 Israelis. Is this a proportionate response? Really? Meanwhile, Trump has maintained a policy of strong support for Israel. His administration has provided approximately $12 billion in military sales since taking office and $4 billion in emergency military assistance. We are complicit, there is more blood on our hands. It is starting to look like Zionism and securing Israel’s goals is the whole of American foreign policy. But everyone is afraid that such spoken sentiments would earn charges of antisemitism. In any case, they would upset Trump.
Strike Number 3 — Pope Leo XIV challenged the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military operation in Iran. In the Truth Social post, Trump threatened Iran over the strategic waterway, writing: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” and adding, “Open the F***in’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!” Trump gave the ultimatum that either the Strait of Hormuz would open, or else, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” He said that “. . . we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island. . .” As of early April 2026, reports indicate that maybe 5,000 plus people have been killed in Iran since the conflict began. Back in Feb. 28, 2026, a Tomahawk missile strike hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in Minab, Iran, on the first day of a joint U.S.-Israeli military operation. At least 168 to 175 people were killed, with reports stating that over 100 to 110 of the victims were schoolchildren. But these are not enough, threats of even more death and destruction are held over heads.
Amnesty International reported: “This harrowing attack on a school, with classrooms full of children, is a sickening illustration of the catastrophic and entirely predictable price civilians are paying during this armed conflict. Schools must be places of safety and learning for children. Instead, this school in Minab became a site of mass killing. The US authorities could, and should, have known it was a school building. Targeting a protected civilian object, such as a school, is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director of Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns.
What has the Pope said? “There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more so a moral issue for the good of the whole, entire population. I would like to invite everyone to truly think in their hearts about the many innocent people, so many children, so many elderly, completely innocent, who would also become victims of this escalation of a war that began from the very first days.”
Pavone concludes by sharing his animus against the bishops and questions their pro-life convictions. He implies that they are hypocrites who vote for pro-abortion Democrats. I guess he does not see the issue of millions of illegals as also being a matter about human dignity and the sanctity of life. As far as he is concerned, the thousands of war dead do not seem to matter either. While I sympathize with his frustration regarding abortion, he fails to see how his rationalizations also make him seem hypocritical, which, if one reflects upon it honestly, is what brought his priesthood to an end.
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