Trump's attacks on the pope are riskier than he realizes |
Decades ago, Joseph Stalin dismissively asked an adviser, "How many divisions does the pope have?" The answer, of course, was none. But the Soviet dictator overlooked something more powerful: the moral authority of the pope – for millions, the earthly representative of Jesus Christ.
The Trump administration seems to have forgotten the power of the papacy. During a closed-door meeting at the Pentagon in January with Cardinal Christophe Pierre, then the papal ambassador to the United States, a senior Vatican official described a "frank and direct dialogue" and clear differences between the Vatican and the United States. It was not "a walk in the park."
What prompted officials to summon Cardinal Pierre to the Pentagon was Pope Leo XIV’s speech on Jan. 9. Speaking to ambassadors, Leo warned, "War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading." He added that the Holy See "cannot ignore" the destruction of hospitals, energy infrastructure, homes and other essentials, calling it a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
When President Donald Trump recently warned Iran that "a whole civilization will die tonight," the pontiff's response was unusually blunt. Speaking........