One-upping the Pope
-
Donald Trump has shared an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ, after calling Pope Leo “terrible” in an unprecedented attack on the leader of the Catholic Church.
In the image, the US President appears in red and white robes. His outstretched hand is healing a sick man, dressed in hospital clothes and laying in a bed. Rays of light come out of his hands.
Posted on his Truth Social platform, it came as the President commented “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy”. Doubling down, in a later post he said: “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
The first American Pope has been critical of the Iran war and the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration policies and enforcement.
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was “disheartened” by President Trump's comments.
“Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls,” he said in a statement.
-
In a matter of days, MAGA media figures have gone from defending President Donald Trump as God’s chosen president to making the case that he is actually the antichrist.
“In 18 months I went from hesitantly voting for Trump to thinking there’s a decent chance he’s the antichrist,” added Clint Russell, host of the right-wing Liberty Lockdown podcast.
“I genuinely believe Trump is currently demon possessed,” far-right Texas pastor Joel Webbon wrote on X. Hours later, Webbon hosted a livestream where he and several others discussed: “Is Donald Trump the Anti-Christ?”
The Knights Templar Order, a Christian organization based on a medieval military order, wrote of the post that they had “no other choice but to condemn it wholeheartedly and ask for a public apology.”
From Wired:
https://archive.is/DtrnW#selection-1773.0-1797.107
<== These are popcorn emojis -
Iran gets in the fray.
-
Great monologue ...
Link to video
-
Thomas Wenski, Archbishop of Miami, said the federal government abruptly ended a more than six-decade relationship with Catholic Charities in Miami, calling it “baffling” to shutter a program the government would be “hard-pressed to replicate at the level of competence and excellence that Catholic Charities has achieved.”
The canceled contract was worth $11 million, the Miami Herald reported.
Emily G. Hillard, the Department of Health and Human Services press secretary, claimed to the Miami Herald the partnership was terminated because the number of unaccompanied children under the charity’s care is “significantly lower” under the Trump administration compared to the Biden administration.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement, an HHS office that had a contract with Catholic Charities, is “closing and consolidating unused facilities as the Trump Administration continues efforts to stop illegal entry and the smuggling and trafficking of unaccompanied alien children,” Hillard said.
-
why are people so quick to assume that that’s not a real photo?
Just trying to keep an open mind here…
-
"The Pope's English".
Escalating tensions between Pope Leo XIV and President Trump may hinge on something unusually simple: the pope doesn't need a translator.
The big picture: Leo's native-level English removes a long-standing Vatican buffer — ambiguity in translation — that has historically softened or clarified papal critiques of U.S. leaders.
Without that layer, Leo's comments land more directly in the American media ecosystem and to American Catholics, amplifying political impact and backlash.
The pope's remarks have worked seamlessly into cable news clips, social media, and campaign messaging, accelerating their political impact — just like the president.
https://www.axios.com/2026/04/20/pope-leo-english-trump-iran
-
Makes sense.
I used to wonder (this might sound strange) who had more cultural weight (or however you want to put it)-- The Queen of England or The Pope?
I chose The Queen of England.
My perspective was no doubt due the hegemony of London in English language and culture. And, no doubt because I'm a Protestant.
YMMV.
Charles III fell flat on his face on the second score. He did well enough on the first one, or at least you can say he's intelligent, educated, and interested in history.
I'd like to give him a grade (I'm sure he cares but please humor me).
Defender of The Faith. 0
Illegitimate marriage. 0
Bad faith Coronation
and wedding vows. 0, 0
Blatant hypocrisy
vis a vis his claim
to fame--
environmentalism. 0F-
Better luck next time.
He would have refused Trump's visit and made an excuse if he had an ounce of character. I don't care what he thinks the Constitution requires (he picks and chooses anyway). He's a rubber stamp to everything Trump has done.
-
I haven't paid much attention to this American Pope to be honest. I'll find out more about him one day.
The Pope, head of the Catholic Church, and secular head of state of Vatican City always interested me.
The friction between HH and Trump doesn't surprise me. Is there anyone Trump gets along with who isn't a sycophant except Netanyahu who's in a category by himself?
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
Register Login