I grew up Catholic. I’ve said it before.
I have considered myself a recovering Catholic since the second I left Catholic School in 6th Grade.
Despite this, my grandparents are still actively involved in the Catholic Church, so I’ve stayed up on some of the news, including the new pope being a Chicago native and kind of awesome.
Even if I hadn’t, I would’ve heard that Trump and the pope are fighting. It sounds like a bad joke, one that I’ve heard before: “That person is such as asshole, they’d argue with the Pope!”. Now, here we are.
Today, I wanted to share some of my experiences in the Catholic Church, as well as impressions of Pope Leo. I also want to go through the play-by-play of this Trump v. Leo battle.
Growing Up Catholic
I attended Sacred Heart Catholic School in Staples, MN from Preschool to Sixth Grade. Growing up Catholic is one thing, but growing up Catholic in a town of ~2000 people is another. The small-town condition of “everyone knows everyone else’s business” is amplified x1000 when you apply a Church congregation’s tendency to gossip on top of it!
My early memories of Preschool didn’t involve any church. I don’t remember when we started attending mass as part of our education, but I do remember we were brought to mass every Thursday and Friday morning. I dreaded the boring sit-stand-kneel rituals that felt repetitive and ridiculous, even as a kid. As we got older, we were permitted to be alter girls/boys, helping the Priest with basic tasks like delivering the water and bread to facilitate communion.
The biggest prize we could win was serving during a funeral. We not only got to get out of school for a time, we got to go to the basement after to eat the funeral hotdish and cupcakes the church ladies would serve for the family. Funeral hotdish is a dish you’ll never forget. Imagine rice, chicken noodle soup, celery and ground beef. Now multiply that thought to produce enough of this weird-ass dish to server 100 people. It looks like this:
Minus to Chow Mein noodles because that would be too oriental as one of the church ladies might state.
Without a doubt, I got an incredible education. With a class size of ~9 kids, our teacher was able to laser focus on each of us. I read at a state-defined sixth grade level in first grade. So did another of my classmates, showing it wasn’t just innate ability. What are the chances two of us would pull that off in such a small class, if our teachers weren’t part of the equation?
We did, however, face stigma from our peers who went to public school. We rode the bus with our public-school peers, and both my brother and I were bullied for being “weirdos” because we went to church school. This got worse when the school decided to require a uniform – it was an easy to spot mark of “different” for other kids to peck at.
My impressions of Catholicism were muddy. I felt that the rituals, the pomp and circumstance, and the control the Priest demanded over the congregation was…weird. I didn’t know why, but it just felt wrong. Antiquated, maybe. Something that didn’t belong in the world outside of the church. We overheard our parents talking about the “abuse” in the Catholic Church. Without specifics, I started to fear the Priest because of this mysterious abuse he may inflict on us. Confession gave me panic attacks, as I had to be in a confined and private space with this man who could be a terrifying monster.
I somehow missed the “faith in God” part of the teachings and only understood that “religion is fear and I need to feel guilty for my very thoughts”. Mass felt like it was more about the Priest than about God himself. Perhaps this is my own wiring that made me see it like this?
I also took issue with the hypocrisy within the Church. Divorce is bad, but the Church will annul your marriage for a fee and that’s good with God? Men and women can have affairs, but as long as they’re present in Church and ask forgiveness, they can walk away clean every week to continue these affairs for the next six days?
After I joined the masses in public school after sixth grade, I would only attend Catholic church on holidays, if my mom forced me to. I declined (read: refused vehemently) to be Confirmed. I started going to a Christian Missionary Alliance Church in High School because I liked a boy who went there. Typical teenager! It’s there that I learned that Jesus didn’t want us to feel bad about who we were. He loves us and wants us to love ourselves and each other. I’m thankful for this experience, as without it I may have jumped ship on religion altogether.
As an adult with a full understanding of what the abuses in the Catholic Church consisted of, I can easily see how barring a Priest from marriage would A) make Priesthood an ideal shelter for those who don’t have heteronormative desires and B) breed the conditions for abuse by denying full grown adults their own carnal desires that are present in pretty much everyone. The math isn’t hard.
The Pope Leo Difference
Pope Leo has vastly changed my opinion on the Catholic Church, while also validating my opinion that the Church seems to have allowed itself to be antiquated, moved away from God’s message, and not “moved with the times”.
Hailing from Chicago, Leo seems to be taking a more realistic and humbled approach to his papacy. Here are some examples of changes he’s made since taking the helm, changes that show he’s “different” than popes of the past:
- The pope has moved more toward the “feed the poor, clothe the naked, shelter the weary” call of Jesus but forcing each bishop to walk barefoot at least once a year in a public procession in the streets, rather than in a palatial cathedral. He’s also opened the Vatical gardens to homeless people to sleep in.
- Leo has chosen to wear simple clothing, chains, crosses and shoes. The bling of previous popes always rubbed me the wrong way, as Jesus was a man of the people. Why should the pope wear $100K in gold when people starve in his city?
- He’s launched a campaign to make the Vatican City carbon neutral by 2030, showing concern for the environment and -gasp- belief in science!
- He’s making a point to open dialogues with other religions, rather than holding Catholicism above all others. Quote, “Faith must not be used to build walls but it should be used to build tables”.
- He’s opened the books of the Catholic churches’ finances, opting to show people where their donations are going and how they are being used.
Leo’s openness to change does not absolve the Catholic Church of their problematic past of abuse, crusades, and instillment of fear in their congregants, but it’s a wonderful first step. Am I running back to join the church? No, but I’m happy to listen to Leo himself.
Trump v. Leo: Not an Onion Article
I’ll start by saying this isn’t the first time Trump fought with a pope. In 2016, he and Pope Francis went rounds on Immigration and Climate Change.
In this current row with the current pope, I think it’s easiest to understand the feud by looking at the timeline:
May ’25: VD (lol, sorry JD) Vance met with Pope Francis, signaling a step toward an amicable relationship between the Vatican and the US Administration.
Nov 5th, ’25: Pope Leo criticized Trump’s immigration raids, calling them inhuman and saying that Trump should deeply reflect on his policies.
Jan 9th, ’26: Leo again spoke out about Trump’s actions in Venezuela, calling it a diplomacy of force, and stating, “The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined”.
Feb 18th, ’26: Pope Leo declined to join Trump’s “Board of Peace”.
Mar 7th, ’26: Pope Leo named Italian Archbishop Gabriele Caccia as the Vatican diplomat to Washington.
Mar 15th, ’26: The Pope called for a ceasefire amid the US-Israel-Iran conflict affecting the Middle East. He said that “thousands of innocent people have been killed and countless others have been forced to flee their homes,” and urged all parties to stop.
Mar 29th, ’26: Leo again spoke out about the Iran war, again asking for a Ceasefire. Quote, “Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” Leo said. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”
April 11th, ’26: Pope Leo, once again, blasted Trump (not by name, but by inference), telling 10,000 Catholics gathered at St. Peter’s Basilica, “Dear brothers and sisters, there are certainly binding responsibilities that fall to the leaders of nations. To them we cry out: Stop! It is time for peace! Sit at the table of dialogue and mediation, not at the table where rearmament is planned, and deadly actions are decided”.
Apr 12th, ’26: Pope Leo told reporters, “I have no fear of the Trump administration”, going on to state, “I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems”.
Trump posted on Truth the same day, “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. He talks about “fear” of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart. I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t! I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country. 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, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History. Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican. Unfortunately, Leo’s Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested. 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! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
When asked why he attacked the pope, Trump responded, “I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. He likes crime I guess. We don’t like a pope who says it’s ok to have a nuclear weapon. We don’t want a pope that says crime is ok. I am not a fan of Pope Leo”.
Apr 14th, ’26: Trump posted on Truth Social, “Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable. Thank you for your attention to this matter. AMERICA IS BACK!!!“
Apr 15, ’26: Pope Leo said in a visit to Algeria, “God’s heart is torn apart by wars, violence, injustice and lies…But our Father’s heart is not with the wicked, the arrogant or the proud.”
Conclusion
I’m writing this post on April 15th, so this feud is very much ongoing and active.
My question is: why? What does Trump have to gain by attacking a very popular, very well-liked and very well-versed religious leader that has gained notice by not only Catholics, but also former Catholics, those of other religions, and those without religion. All of my aunts and uncles have left the Church, as have my cousins and siblings, but we all like Leo. Even those who identify as atheist or agnostic can appreciate his message.
I don’t have any Evangelical friends, but I’d love to know what their thoughts are on the subject.
Also, my typo of VD Vance is now my new favorite way to quietly hate on JD. 🙂
Thanks for reading!
I’ll answer your question “What does Trump have to gain” with two of my own:
1.What does Trump have to LOSE? His popularity numbers mean squat to him. He’s got 1010 days left on his last political office.
2.What does Pope Leo have to gain? Leo has the job for life so his popularity also doesn’t matter. If he thinks he is going to influence Trump though public criticism, he may be brain damaged. In all of recorded history that has never been successful. Never. Not once. I’m disappointed that he isn’t being more strategic in how he tries to work Trump.
True, Trump doesn’t have much to lose – apart from the continued Presidency of his party, I guess? The credibility of the US as a country? We’ve been repeatedly made to look particularly dumb by him on a world stage. I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that he’ll continue with that, I just..wish he cared about the future of the country’s image, reputation and credibility.
It’s also true that Leo has the job for life. I think he’s doing his job, spreading the message of peace as Jesus intended. There really isn’t a good strategy for working with Trump, unless your strategy is “kiss his orange ass as much as possible and manipulate him by giving him expensive gifts”. I don’t fault Leo for not wanting to stoop to that level.
In my opinion, as Pope, Leo should do what it takes to get the results, even if he has to stoop to low levels. (I.E washing of feet)
I could see this perspective, but for that, I look at how Jesus treated the Pharisees. Did Jesus wash the feet of, cater to, and attempt to persuade them when they attacked his place as the son of God? Or did he speak out about them, their corruption, their attention seeking? No; he spoke out, loudly and at every opportunity available to him. I see Pope Leo emulating Jesus in his actions of speaking out against Trump more than he would if he knelt before Trump and washed his feet.
The point I am trying to make is that if The Pope were actually concerned with ending the war in Iran, he would use tactics that might have some level of success in influencing Trump. The fact that he chose to “come at him” in the manner in which he did shows that his motives are suspect. He wasn’t trying to influence Trump, he was trying to influence voters.
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Before he became pope, he was an outspoken supporter of the Democratic party and this event is little more than political activism on his part. Last week he met with former Obama strategist David Axelrod (not Donald Trump) and followed up that meeting with his comments and not coincidently three US Cardinals appearing on 60 Minutes three days later.
The intent is clear. He doesn’t care about the tens of thousands of Iranians being executed by their government or the threat that Iran has on Christians and Jews in general. He wants to support the Democratic party. He wants to force Catholics to choose between their faith and their party.
Simply put, it is political grandstanding in a religious wrapper.
I agree. Speaking out against corruption is in line with the teachings of Jesus; propping up dictators & the modern day pharisees who support them is not.
-John
I disagree. Pope Leo should continue to assert the moral high ground & not bow down to despots.
-John
I am curious as to whatever happened to the supposed infallibility of the Pope? Very clearly he has been fallible both in his statements and the reasoning behind them. You don’t end the war in Iran or in the Ukraine, for that matter, by criticizing President Trump. What you do is to demand that Iran and Russia conform to some reasonable standards of Christian/ethical behavior. Not that this will help, but at least he would be on the right side of the issue.
Glad to see you hear from you, Jerry!
Leo has never directly reference Trump, instead calling out anyone who would choose open warfare over peace. Is this not what Jesus taught? The God of the Old Testament was vengeful, but Jesus was instead focused on love and understanding. Jesus himself was not mild mannered. In fact, Jesus was loudly outspoken, invoking his wrath on the Pharisees. Spoken word was the primary delivery method 2,000 years ago. Now, the media is the delivery platform. Like it or not, the Pope has a platform that he chooses to use to convey his message.
What do you propose Leo do?