Pope Leo Isn't Afraid Of President Trump. We Shouldn't Be, Either

“I’m not afraid.”

With these 3 words Sunday morning, Pope Leo XIV offered arsenic powerful a rebuke of President Trump and everything he has wrought connected nan world arsenic anyone ever has.

Three words that mocked Trump for being nan bully that he is.

Three words that undercut Trump’s self-hyped aura of invincibility.

Three words to animate each bully group to conflict against Trump — because if a mild-mannered man of God specified arsenic Leo isn’t afraid, nary 1 should be.

Pope Leo’s words thrilled maine arsenic an American but particularly arsenic a Catholic. His quiet, assured witnesser since becoming pontiff successful May had already reignited a belief ray successful maine to adhere person to nan religion I was brought up in.

Trump’s actions during his 2nd word — war, deportations, nasty rhetoric and a emotion of himself supra each other — person been for illustration substance to that fire. They guidelines against everything I was ever taught was bully and holy.

Hearing Leo’s elemental smackdown of nan president, astatine a clip erstwhile excessively galore group insist we must descend to Trump’s lows to hit him, is for illustration receiving a sacrament I ne'er knew I needed.

Leo said a fewer hours aft Trump trashed him connected societal media, calling him “WEAK connected Crime, and unspeakable for Foreign Policy” — each because of nan pope’s critiques of perpetual wars and this country’s vile curen of undocumented immigrants, while ne'er mentioning anyone by name.

Until now.

“I’m not acrophobic of nan Trump management aliases of speaking retired loudly astir nan connection of nan Gospel, which is what nan religion useful for,” he told reporters while walking to Algeria to footwear disconnected a 10-day African mission. He repeated nan connection later, stating: “I person nary fear.”

In response, Trump melted down for illustration nan Nazis astatine nan extremity of “Raiders of nan Lost Ark,” critiquing nan pope to reporters and past posting an image connected societal media of himself arsenic a robed savior treatment a sick man, ray emanating from his hands.

This pathetic fusillade offended moreover Catholic League President Bill Donohue, who has made a profession of trashing wide Catholics and who defended Trump past twelvemonth aft nan president shared an image of himself successful papal robes and mitre aft nan decease of Pope Francis. This time, Donohue deemed Trump’s Christ-like imagery “offensive and immature.”

President Trump waves arsenic he returns to nan White House connected Sunday. During a short relationship pinch reporters, he blasted Pope Leo XI arsenic “very liberal.”

(Jose Luis Magana / Associated Press)

The president has a batch to fearfulness these days, and not conscionable because he violated astir of nan Ten Commandments pinch his bonkers Jesus post, which quickly disappeared. One of nan fewer sane adults near successful his management must person reminded him that antagonizing Catholics is simply a unspeakable governmental move. About 55% of them voted for him successful nan 2024 election, galore successful plaything states specified arsenic Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin that had sided pinch Joe Biden — a Catholic — 4 years before.

A Fox News canvass released past week recovered that only 48% of Catholics nationwide o.k. of Trump’s wide performance. While 57% of achromatic Catholics still support Trump, a mostly of them aren’t happy pinch his actions successful Iran — nan rumor that’s turning retired to beryllium a millstone astir his neck.

Trump’s 2nd word has been a nightmare that seems to worsen each day. Yet not only is this state still standing, but much and much group are waking up to nan insult he’s made of American values. One of nan caller warriors is Leo, who told reporters he said retired not to sway authorities successful his location country, but to offer, successful his domiciled arsenic caput of nan world’s 1.4 cardinal Catholics, a reminder of what Jesus practiced and preached.

No wonderment Trump, who wants to erect idols to himself for illustration a Canaanite king, is truthful upset.

May Leo’s words aftermath up much bully people, sloppy of their faith, to emergence against Trump — and particularly operation lapsed Catholics to return to Mother Church.

U.S. Catholics person agelong served arsenic a barometer of acceptance for newcomers and nan moving class. But only astir 20% of Americans place arsenic Catholic, per a Pew Research Center study released past year. And only 30% of those Catholics be Mass weekly. Many much time off nan religion than adopt it, astatine rates that acold transcend different Christian denominations. This illness has allowed nan Catholic church’s blimpish helping to return over, departing from nan historical ngo and alternatively starring america to Trump.

My lifelong committedness to societal justness and my eternal skepticism of powerfulness and avarice comes from what I learned increasing up astatine St. Boniface successful Anaheim. I moreover had aspirations to go a priest, because I find fewer things much noble than dedicating your life to helping others.

I stopped attending Mass erstwhile I began covering nan church’s activity maltreatment scandals arsenic a journalist. I was outraged that men who held themselves up to beryllium nan custodians of God connected Earth not only allowed specified crimes to hap but usually covered them up and shunted disconnected nan offenders to mediocre parishes for illustration mine.

I ne'er stopped praying aliases considering myself a Catholic — but I couldn’t bring myself to support institutions headed by men specified arsenic L.A. Archbishop José H. Gómez and Diocese of Orange Bishop Kevin Vann, who ever look to person crisp words for progressives but ne'er for Trump.

It’s been a agelong roadworthy backmost for maine to openly constitute astir my religion pinch pridefulness — but Trump’s continued heresies person made it necessary. I still don’t cognize erstwhile aliases if I’ll commencement attending Mass again regularly, but nan truth that I’m moreover reasoning astir it shows Leo’s effect connected me.

Recently, personification I was interviewing noticed my scapular of nan Santo Niño de Atocha pinch nan connection “Amor” connected nan different side. Last year, I tucked this elemental necklace that’s a motion of devotion wrong nan integrative sleeve holding my Los Angeles Times badge, on pinch a fewer belief medals.

Pope Leo caused that. Trump caused that. Any chance to talk astir my Catholic religion and why Trump is bad, I’m going to take.

I’m not afraid.