It is not unusual for President Trump to face criticism from Catholic leaders. His hardline immigration policies, promised in his campaign and cheered on by supporters, have prompted condemnation from church leaders. For months it has put the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in the US at odds with more right-leaning rank-and-file Catholics. But the broad backlash in the last 48 hours, over Trump's attack on Pope Leo and his sharing of an AI image of himself as a Christ-like figure, is very different. What is striking is where some of this criticism is coming from - loyal, conservative Catholic allies.
They are unhappy, not just because of Trump's public friction with Pope Leo but at a much deeper level over the Iran war. The uproar over Trump's lengthy social media attack on the first American pope, as too liberal and too 'weak on crime', together with the image, have crystallised a shift in opinion among many Catholic conservatives since the war began six weeks ago.
I pray that all of this will clarify for people that we don't look to a national leader, we don't look to those who have the most money or the most weapons. We look to Christ, says Bishop Joseph Strickland. These words come from a man who, only last year, participated in a prayer event to 'consecrate' the president's Mar-a-Lago home.
In 2024, Strickland delivered the keynote speech at CPAC where Donald Trump was the guest of honour. In 2020, he addressed a march of Trump supporters calling to overturn the election results. Yet, in the face of starkly competing White House and Vatican narratives regarding the war in Iran and the wider Middle East, Bishop Strickland has made a rare break from the administration.
I do not believe this conflict meets the criteria of a just war. I stand with the Holy Father and his call for peace. This is not about politics. It's about moral truth, he told the BBC, stating that the scale of death and suffering faced by innocent civilians meant the war could never be viewed as 'just'. More than that, he has challenged the White House on its handling of the war and encouraged other Catholics to do the same.
The reaction from conservative circles underscores the split within the Catholic voting block. Historical data suggests that many American Catholics prioritize political alignment over strict adherence to faith doctrines. However, the response to Trump's latest actions may indicate a significant shift as the conflict in Iran escalates and the global Catholic community watches closely.
They are unhappy, not just because of Trump's public friction with Pope Leo but at a much deeper level over the Iran war. The uproar over Trump's lengthy social media attack on the first American pope, as too liberal and too 'weak on crime', together with the image, have crystallised a shift in opinion among many Catholic conservatives since the war began six weeks ago.
I pray that all of this will clarify for people that we don't look to a national leader, we don't look to those who have the most money or the most weapons. We look to Christ, says Bishop Joseph Strickland. These words come from a man who, only last year, participated in a prayer event to 'consecrate' the president's Mar-a-Lago home.
In 2024, Strickland delivered the keynote speech at CPAC where Donald Trump was the guest of honour. In 2020, he addressed a march of Trump supporters calling to overturn the election results. Yet, in the face of starkly competing White House and Vatican narratives regarding the war in Iran and the wider Middle East, Bishop Strickland has made a rare break from the administration.
I do not believe this conflict meets the criteria of a just war. I stand with the Holy Father and his call for peace. This is not about politics. It's about moral truth, he told the BBC, stating that the scale of death and suffering faced by innocent civilians meant the war could never be viewed as 'just'. More than that, he has challenged the White House on its handling of the war and encouraged other Catholics to do the same.
The reaction from conservative circles underscores the split within the Catholic voting block. Historical data suggests that many American Catholics prioritize political alignment over strict adherence to faith doctrines. However, the response to Trump's latest actions may indicate a significant shift as the conflict in Iran escalates and the global Catholic community watches closely.
