It has been interesting to witness the exchanges between the president and the pope.
According to Mathew Schmalz, a professor of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and founding member of the Journal of Global Catholicism, “You’d have to go back to the Middle Ages or the Protestant Reformation to see this kind of dispute between the pope and a secular leader.”
Apparently, this new Pope from America, doesn’t believe Trump is a reincarnation of Jesus. Nor is he willing to bless the war with Iran like Trumps’ faith leader, Paula White-Cain.
It is not unusual for a pope to be critical of a president and their decisions to wage war. Pope Paul VI, in addressing the United Nations in 1965, declared, “No more war, never again war.” It was likely directed at Lyndon Johnson and the war in Vietnam. And in 1968, there were reports he met with Johnson, “slammed his hand on the desk and shouted at the president.” And Pope John Paul II was actively critical of the 2003 invasion of Iraq under President George W. Bush.
In an April Truth Social Post, President Trump called the pope, “weak on crime,” and “terrible for foreign policy.” He stated that, “Leo should get his act together as Pope, use common sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.”
What the president doesn’t seem to understand is that the Christian Gospel isn’t always “common sense,” unless one believes loving and praying for the enemy, or laying down your life for others, is what one calls “common sense.” Nor does the president seem to understand that faith is not simply about belief, but includes expressing those beliefs in action, including political acts. For Christ’s sake, he might take notice that Jesus was crucified because he was critical of an empire!
As one might expect, the vice president joined the debate. He objected to Pope Leo claiming that those who follow Christ don’t drop bombs on others. (Maybe the Pope was thinking about all those Iranian school children we killed!) The response of JD Vance was to raise and justify the actions of this country in World War II, where we aided in liberating France and the German concentration camps. He said the Pope should “be careful when talking about matters of theology.” Seriously? Does Vance know what the definition of theology is? Theology is “the study of the nature of God and religious belief.” Who better than the Pope?
Vance was quickly refuted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. They issued a statement affirming the centuries old tradition of the Catholic Church known as the “Just War Theory.” It teaches that nations “can only legitimately take up the sword in self-defense after all peace efforts have failed.“ Actually there is more to the Just War Theory. If you take it seriously in all of its’ dimensions, conducting warfare is a morally and religiously unlikely prospect.
The Just War Theory has evolved over the centuries, but is often attributed initially to Augustine. There are four primary principles. The first principle is it must be declared by a legitimate authority. Only public authorities have this power. Private individuals have no right to initiate armed conflict. In fact, this principle is part of the U.S.Constitution. Congress, a public entity, declares war! Yet here we are, with the president, one man, taking us to war with Iran, costing thousands of lives and billions of dollars.
The second Just War principle is it must be for a “just cause.” This might mean defending the country, protecting allies, or redressing wrongful acts. Many question the war in Iran, as the justification has been preventing the Iranian development of nuclear weapons, when we already had a treaty deemed effective in doing just that. Our president tore it up.
The third principle is “right intention.” “Actions motivated by revenge, wrath, or greed invalidate any claim to justice in war.” The ultimate guide must be one of love and compassion, with a proper inner disposition. I don’t think calling the enemy “f…ing bastards” meets this standard!
The fourth principle recognizes the ultimate goal is to establish peace, not empire or “power over,” but peace and harmony among all parties. One wonders sometimes, about the ultimate goal of superpowers and their conflicts.
For many Americans with a religious persuasion, faith leads while politics follows. Beliefs and values shape political positions. Periodically, we even see political leaders who try to implement their faith in concert with their political activity. Sometimes they are aided by a populace that demands more value-laden activity.
Would that more politicians would consider the pope and other religious leaders, who apply the love of God and neighbor as a guiding principle, as friends and mentors for their political activity. Couldn’t we all agree that war and violence are ultimately moral and religious failures. Couldn’t we all agree we could do better, with faith and intention?
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