Pope Leo Versus President Trump

Leo acts in accord with his understanding of Catholic teaching derived from biblical revelation. But the pope is human, hence, no less susceptible to biases and errors. 

J. Robert Smith | April 16, 2026

There’s a misconception among non-Catholics -- actually, among plenty of Catholics, too: That a pope is a monarch imbued with divine right. Or he believes he is. Any pronouncement made by a pope is Church law, goes the misconception.

In the Roman Catholic Church, there’s a mechanism that a pope can employ involving dogma related strictly to faith and morals. He can speak or write ex cathedra. When doing so concerning the aforementioned, then that binds Catholics. But that power is used sparingly.

Pope Leo’s statements on the Iran war aren’t writ. He’s making a policy pronouncement of sorts in the context of his “ordinary magisterium” -- or in his capacity as chief instructor of the Catholic Church, to simplify it. Catholics are free to hold contrary opinions and dissent in this case. When they disagree, they should do so as acts of conscience. Popes -- clerics of whatever stripe -- aren’t infallible. Certainly not when it comes to politics and current events. Certainly not pertaining to the purpose for the Iran war, which is imperative and moral.

President Trump’s remarks about Leo and his politics were vintage Trump: unvarnished, tough. We expect something other from Trump? George Patton wasn’t going to cuss?

Observers decry Trump’s lack of respect for the papacy. Diversionary tripe. Trump didn’t comment on the office. He gave his trademark dressing down of an opponent. The object was Leo’s stances, which clearly dovetail with Western European elites’ politics.

Those politics are in the process undermining Western Civilization in Europe. Exaggeration? Plunging birthrates have led to a demographic death spiral. Decades of welfare statism have dulled sensibilities. Europeans have lived comfortably while the U.S. heavy-lifted their collective defense.

Then there’s Western Europe’s importation of Muslims. Islam’s entire history is driven by conquest -- that’s with the sword, though Europeans are making it easy for Muslims to dispense with swords this time. Islam is intrinsically aggressive. That isn’t supposition. It’s not........

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