MIAMI SHORES, Fla. — As President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV disagreed on the war in Iran, Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski said on Monday that it’s not unusual for the papacy to be at odds with secular leadership.
There are plenty of historic examples. In 1077, the apologetic “Walk to Canossa” followed the power struggle between Pope Gregory VII and Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV.
“I remember at the beginning of the Iraq War, Pope John Paul II was very vocal in his opposition against the Iraq War,” Wenski said on Monday in Miami Shores. “And I think, President Bush at that time certainly didn’t agree with him, but he didn’t rant about it.”
On Saturday, Pope Leo XIV criticized the “delusion of omnipotence” that is fueling the war in Iran, which continued into the seventh week. The head of the Catholic Church said, “Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”
TRUMP’S ‘RANT’
On Sunday, Trump took to Truth Social to write that Pope Leo was “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.” Trump wrote, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon” and “I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do.”
Trump also wrote that the pontiff was elected “because he was an American,” so “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” and added, “Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church!”
Wenski said Pope Leo is likely unbothered by Trump’s post.
“You don’t become a Pope without having developed a thick skin over the years, and certainly he will continue to witness the gospel to proclaim The Good News of Jesus Christ,” Wenski said.
TRUMP AND POPE ON MONDAY
Trump told reporters at the White House that he was not going to apologize for the post on Truth Social.
“He was very much against what I’m doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran. Pope Leo would not be happy with the end result,” Trump said.
On Monday, the pope talked to reporters about Trump’s post on Truth Social.
“I will continue to speak out strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems,” the pope told reporters.
THE CONTROVERSIAL IMAGE
Trump faced criticism for sharing a graphic on Truth Social that depicted him as a Christ-like savior.
“It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “And I do make people better. I make people a lot better.”
The White House removed the image on Monday.
Wenski said that while Trump is a Christian, he may not have intended for the photo to offend fellow Christians.
“I don’t think he has much foundation in theology or anything like that to really understand all the nuances and the complexities of religious beliefs and religious feelings,” Wenski said.
Related stories
- Pope starts Africa tour in Algeria and calls for peace against Iran war’s backdrop
- Trump says he won’t apologize to Pope Leo and explains his reason for posting much-criticized meme
- Many US Catholics are dismayed by Trump’s unprecedented broadside at the first American pope
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