Trump’s taken aim at the Pope. It’s another holy war he can’t win

If I could sneak into any room in the world under an invisibility cloak right now, it would be wherever the Pope is hanging out with his gang, combing through the news. Imagine the unfiltered reactions, the flinching and the roars, the deep concern and the bemusement.

Just this week Secretary for Defence Pete Hegseth in a prayer at the Pentagon cited what he claimed to be a verse from Ezekiel but was, in fact, from the Quentin Tarantino film Pulp Fiction.

Then, on April Fools’ Day this year, Donald Trump described himself, again, as a Christ-like leader. “On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem as crowds welcomed him with praise honouring him as king,” he reminded us. “They call me king now. Do you believe it?”

How jarring it must have been for the American president, who has repeatedly touted himself as a messianic figure saved by God from an assassin to make America great, and sold copies of “God Bless the USA” Bibles under his name, to be felled by a man who actually reads, understands and correctly quotes the Bible: the Pope.

In recent weeks, as the war in Iran has become increasingly cloudy and destructive, Pope Leo XIV has forcefully argued for peace, calling world leaders to “lay down your weapons” and issuing blunt reminders that the Bible says God does not listen to the prayers of those whose “hands are full of blood”.

When Trump declared “a whole civilisation would die” in Iran, the Pope said this was a “truly unacceptable” threat.

In response, an aggravated Trump posted an AI-generated photo of himself looking very much like Jesus Christ, placing his shining hand on a prone man’s forehead. A holy healer. After an outcry, Trump later claimed he was meant to be a doctor, not a messiah, and deleted the post – but his meaning was obvious. Last year, he had posted an AI image of himself as Pope during the conclave.

On Truth Social, Trump smashed Pope Leo, calling him “WEAK on crime”, and “terrible on foreign policy”. “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” he said.

Vice President JD Vance, a conservative Catholic, has, cautioned the Pope should “be careful” on the subject of theology and stay away from politics, from the smoking ruins and unnecessary deaths, the people homeless, stateless, suffering and dying throughout the Middle East. It’s wild to see Vance, who reportedly opposed going to war with Iran, actually chastising the Pope, whom he met in May at the Vatican. He said on Fox News that the Vatican should: “stick to matters of morality, stick to matters of what’s going on in the Catholic Church”, and let Trump “stick to dictating public policy”.

The Vatican disagrees. Cardinal Michael Czerny said the question of living “the gospel in the real world” was “inevitably political”. “The role of the church hierarchy is to form people’s consciousness as much as possible in line with the gospel. When necessary, we have to speak truth to power.”

Since the smears from Trump and Vance, American bishops have rallied behind their Pope, who has calmly continued to assert biblical truths on social media. As Trump roils on Truth Social, the Pope issues salvos on X. On April 14: “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. God’s heart is with the little ones and the humble … Wherever there is love and service, God is there.”

On April 16: “Peace is everyone’s responsibility, beginning with civil authorities. To govern means to love one’s own country as well as neighbouring countries. The commandment ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ is equally applicable to international relations!”

This is a fascinating dispute with potentially serious consequences in the lead up to the midterms.

First, Trump’s support among Catholics – who helped deliver him victory in 2024 – is slipping (note, though, 62 per cent of white Catholics supported Trump while 58 per cent of Hispanic Catholics supported Harris.)

Republican pollster Whit Ayres told The New York Times the most important variable in a midterm election is the president’s job approval rating. When above 50 per cent, the average loss of their party’s House seats is 14. Below 50 per cent, the average loss is 32 seats. Right now, Trump is at about 39 per cent.

Second, the attempts to dress up the unilateral offence in Iran – started without the permission of Congress or support of American voters – as a holy war have been exposed as bogus and indeed offensive to many. Hegseth, who has tattoos linked to the brutal crusades inked on his skin, even prayed for “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy” and “justice executed swiftly and without remorse” after the first attacks on Iran by Israel and the US. (Neither he nor Trump apologised for the school bombing that killed 175 people, mostly children).

But the case for a just war has not been made to Congress, the American voters and the world, let alone a holy one.

Third, Leo’s clarity and boldness have served to highlight the peculiarity of the posture of prominent American evangelicals who have thrown their weight behind Trump, insisting he is deserving of unquestioning support. Their sycophancy has seriously damaged the standing of the church among those who now view Christianity as harsh to migrants and outsiders, rolled in rancour and self-righteousness, steeped in nationalism, lacking in humility and care for the widow, the stranger, the orphan – but most of all, lacking in love.

This clearly provokes the Pope. In Cameroon this week, he castigated those “who manipulate religion in the very name of God for their own military, economic or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth”.

The world, he said, “is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters”.

The Pope is reminding the world the mission of the church should not be the pursuit of power, but standing with, and loving, the powerless.

Julia Baird is a journalist, author and regular columnist.

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