‘It’s kind of a tough situation’: US Catholics torn in feud between president and the pope

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/18/us-catholics-trump-pope

An age of political outrage has eroded Americans’ capacity for shock. But the response by Trump and other Republican leaders and supporters to criticism from Pope Leo XIV against the war in Iran has tested that proposition.

The pope has been broadly and consistently critical of war, but pointedly critical of the American attacks in Iran. On Palm Sunday, the pope, who is an American, condemned the use of religion to justify violence. God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war”, he said at mass in St Peter’s Square.

(Taylor Marshall, an outspoken Catholic conservative with a considerable YouTube following) ascribed Trump’s conduct this week to the president’s fundamental difficulty processing the soft power of an American pope, and the challenge that poses to Trump’s sense of self as the most powerful person in the world.

The pope “is in charge of 1.4 billion – not million, billion – people and he has the nerve to interject his moral authority into the activity of President Trump? I really think that is the origin story. It’s a philosophical conundrum that President Trump was never prepared for and I think he’s still trying to figure out how to navigate it.”

154 points · 47 comments · view on lemmy.world

47 Comments

hperrin@lemmy.ca · 117 pts · 138d (2 replies)

It’s only a tough situation if you’re a heartless monster.

BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world · 44 pts · 138d (1 reply)

If you're finding this conflicting as a Catholic I have good news. You're not Catholic!

Etnaphele@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 138d

Catholics are pretty radical, though, and follow very easily charismatic figures that tell them what to do. I get your point, but no religion is actually based on practicing the content of its teachings.

dhork@lemmy.world · 82 pts · 138d (6 replies)

“What my friend said is that she prays for the president every day, that God will remove that hard heart of his and replace it with a softer one that has love.”

I have a similar prayer, only I leave out the part about a replacement.

s@piefed.world · 43 pts · 138d

Kali Ma!

Lydon_Feen@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 138d

I have a similar one, but it happens in front of the cameras, and he shits his pants for everyone to see.

The only ending fair enough for a piece of shit like Trump

GutterRat42@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 138d (1 reply)

Didn't god harden the pharaoh's heart after he had released the Jewish people?

X@piefed.world · 5 pts · 138d

Yep. Exodus 7:13-8:19

areakode@riskeratspizza.com · 4 pts · 138d (1 reply)

Baked potatoes are soft and bring me love. I have an idea...

Zahille7@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 138d

"Sorry Kenny, we accidentally replaced your heart with a baked potato; you have about ten seconds to live."

TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world · 57 pts · 138d (2 replies)

“If you’re an American, you don’t want to see your president having a feud with the pope,” said Taylor Marshall, an outspoken Catholic conservative with a considerable YouTube following. “And if you’re Catholic, it’s kind of hard. If you voted for Trump three times and you want to be a Catholic and you want to be faithful and submit to the Holy Father, the bishop of Rome, the pope, the vicar of Christ, it’s kind of a tough situation to see the leader of your nation feuding with the leader on Earth of the Catholic church. It is for me.”

These people need to be isolated and studied, because what the fuck.

GutterRat42@lemmy.world · 36 pts · 138d (1 reply)

Voted for Trump 3 times. Doesn't know if he wants to go to heaven or follow the clear antichrist incarnate. These people are idiots.

XeroxCool@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 136d

Christians said Obama was the antichrist. I guess I should hope Catholics soon blame Obama for bringing this baby carrot plague onto the country with some 3D Satanic Chess plan because at least then they'll finally be against captain carotene.

Thanks, Obama.

Treczoks@lemmy.world · 51 pts · 138d (1 reply)

If you are torn by this issue, return the baptism water, it has been wasted on you.

CannonFodder@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 138d

I am torn. I don't know which side to laugh at harder. Trump is more of an idiotic fool, but the church has a longer history of evil.

MartianRecon@lemmus.org · 31 pts · 138d

This shouldn't be difficult at all. trump is literally the avatar of every cardinal sin that the church has.

This is a conservative christian not wanting to lose face with his Baptist buddies.

Gates9@sh.itjust.works · 25 pts · 138d (1 reply)

TFW you realize what religion is and that you have two of them.

Anyway the Bible is clear about this, “you can’t serve two masters”.

lemmyng@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 138d

THIS.

noxypaws@pawb.social · 18 pts · 138d

false choice, it's actually possible to leave both cults, even if the pope is saying some good shit at the moment

Tempus_Fugit@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 138d (4 replies)

I love this for Catholics. They deserve another schism.

humorlessrepost@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 138d (3 replies)

With JD as this version’s Russian orthodox pope.

Tempus_Fugit@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 138d (2 replies)

Shit, that rizzless idiot? He'll be lucky to be The Reptile's blood bag with as much charisma and influence he has.

humorlessrepost@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 138d

Popes aren’t exactly know for their “rizz”, historically.

dhork@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 138d

If the Right is gonna make its own pope, they should pick Newt Gingrich. He did convert to Catholicism for his third wife, after all. The Catholics let him in even though he has been divorced twice (and started both his relationships with his future wives while still married to his prior wives). So he'd make a perfect antipope....

chahn.chris@piefed.social · 15 pts · 138d (2 replies)

If the teachings of your religion and faith can be swayed by any man or woman on earth then you don’t believe in those teachings and you are by definition not a religious person.

HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 138d

But you must always question the hypocrisy that seems rampant in some faiths.

Never blindly accept what someone else tells you is the 'only' truth.

Klear@quokk.au · 1 pts · 138d

I always thought Catholism was for people who are not too religious, just want to belong somewhere.

FukOui@lemmy.zip · 15 pts · 138d (3 replies)

Catholicism and conservatism are bipolar opposites. Like, I don't get how you can love and accept Jesus while hating poor or nonwhite people

alsimoneau@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 137d (1 reply)

They made their own Jesus

Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 137d

Yeah, but those aren't Catholics. At least it's not what their priests are preaching.

brad_troika@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 137d

Ask Catholics I guess? They have been doing this for more than a millennia, shouldn't be that surprising that they still do it.

Drusas@fedia.io · 13 pts · 138d (1 reply)

It's only a feud if the animosity goes both ways. This isn't a feud. This is just Trump attacking the pope.

Burninator05@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 137d

It also shouldn't be a hard choice. On one hand you have the leader of your lifelong faith who (as far as I know) hasnt been caught up in any personal scandals and on the other you have a convicted felon, serial adulterer, and by most measures a pretty horid person.

bitwolf@sh.itjust.works · 11 pts · 138d (1 reply)

Really? It doesn't seem like a hard choice. One is the ordained leader of the Catholic church and one is a failed business man and washed up celebrity.

lemmyng@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 138d

One is a leader of an organized pedo ring, and the other is the leader of an organized pedo ring, so I can see how they'd be confused.

favoredponcho@lemmy.zip · 10 pts · 138d (1 reply)
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homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 138d

We’re not talking about smart people here. They’re religious trump supporters. It’s already a cult within a cult.

teawrecks@sopuli.xyz · 10 pts · 138d (1 reply)

On the one hand, murder is bad, but on the other hand I am full of hate and fear....

frongt@lemmy.zip · -1 pts · 138d

Simply define your enemy as subhuman, then it's not murder!

Formfiller@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 137d

Torn? They should be excommunicated for following chomo Caligula

stumu415@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 138d

Only if you're not a true catholic. Both are a cult but one is closer to Jim Jones.

HubertManne@piefed.social · 5 pts · 138d

torn? boy being catholic is so different from when I was young.

yggstyle@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 138d

vegeta@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 138d

I guess they only have faith, when it confirms their pre-held beliefs

The Pope or Trump. Not some generally worldwide renowed layman, or other holy figure. TRUMP!

theacharnian@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 138d

Are we getting Guelphs and Ghibellines? Definitely not on my bingo card for 2026.

n7gifmdn@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 138d

In my parish I have heard more than one person say something to the effect of "But Francis isn't even Catholic he's Jesuit" when he passed our Pastor included some such line like "regardless of what you feel about this Pope..." it's so sad.

santa@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 138d

I’m Jewish. I would always choose Pope over T*

itisileclerk@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 137d

US Catholich are torn between two false stories, one that "when you die poor you will go to heaven" and the orher that "we are rich and everything is the best". The reaily is vice-versa, when you die poor (or rich) you will NOT go to heaven and ... well you know the other answer, it's visible.