President Trump must heed God’s warning: “One should never attack a Priest, even when he’s in error.”

By Edward Chisanga

Before Pope Leo voiced his concern against President Trump’s provocation into war of Iran, amid numerous killings and suffering of innocent people, including little children, old people and the lame, and destruction of property, Americans themselves, including opposition leaders condemned it much earlier, more vigorously and viciously than the Pope. Every world newspaper, in particular American ones carry this same story. As early as March this year, Pew Research Center informed the world, “About six-in-ten Americans (61%) disapprove of Trump’s handling of the conflict, while 37% approve.” It might be that the 37% are obviously all hardcore supporters of President Trump. Many others, including democrats have said the same. The disapproval percentage has since risen sky-high.

Frighteningly too, close partners of the U.S., including NATO members, and individual countries condemned and nixed Mr. Trump’s war although they, unlike the Pope are not publicly voicing their concerns. Mr. Trump can hardly pretend that, lack of strong voice from his die-hard allies simply means the same things that he accuses Pope Leo of saying but they’ll not say publicly largely due to political finesse and fear of reprisal or embarrassing the U.S.

When leader of country A says that he’d not send his ships to the war zone to support U.S., the interpretation is that they’re saying exactly what Americans and Pope Leo are saying. Notwithstanding, of course Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sachez has been more open and direct at attacking Trump’s warmongering. UK’s Prime Minister Starmer too is tough and simply a right leader who cannot forget history for the sake of simply keeping up appearances as the British famous sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke reminds us. Former UK prime Minister Tony Blair blundered when he accepted to be blindly cajoled into the Iraq war by America and it’s clear that Mr. Starmer’s argument against the war has strong backing from this. The world needs leaders like that. Not Trump.

The question then is: Why isn’t Mr. Trump able to condemn Americans or allies using the unsavory language used against the Pope? Among other things, Mr. Trump may be worried that Catholics accounting for the second largest religious group in the U.S, after only Protestantism, the Pope’s voice means so many Catholics against him, in particular as he heads towards mid-term elections soon. And, by making derogatory and profanatory statements he did against the Pope, he in fact twists a knife inside his own stomach and provides a safe landing for the same Catholic and even general American voters against him.

We’re told that America is the most democratic nation on earth where freedom of speech is well celebrated and respected by leaders in line with the constitution. American leaders believe that freedom goes beyond its national borders and must be practiced in other nations. They, in particular, Mr. Trump condemns countries like China, Venezuela, Cuba, Iran and others for intolerance for their citizens’ free voice. PBS News reminds us, “When president Donald Trump gave his joint address to Congress last week, he boasted that in his first few weeks, back in the White House, he had ‘brought free speech back to America.’” It also states, “Trump campaigned as a protector of free speech but his actions threaten it.” Paradoxically, the same preacher men of freedom of speech miserably fail to explain why Pope Leo and Prime Minister Sanchez should not be an integral part of universal freedom of speech.

Yet, another paradox is that we learn that Mr. Trump benefited immensely from the Catholic vote for his second term. According to Catholicvote, “Catholics who comprise 22% of the 2024 electorate, broke for Trump-with 56% voting for the former president compared to 41% who backed Harris.” Mr. Trump himself acknowledged Catholic vote. Newsweek reports, “During his speech, Trump told the crowd that he was ‘leading big’ among Catholic voters.” Another statement from a Catholic leader echoed the same message when it stated, “CatholicVote.org President Brian Burch believes Catholics turning out for president-elect 2v was the reason he secured his second term in the White House.”

In recent times, prior to the war, President Trump himself vigorously assured that he would defend Christians and Catholics. One paper quotes him, “Trump says he’ll defend Christianity from ‘radical left that seek to ‘tear down crosses.” It continues, “Former President Donald Trump promised to use a second term in the White House to defend Christian values and even suggested he’d shield the faith’s central iconography. Remember every communist regime throughout history has tried to stamp out the churches, just like every fascist regime has tried to co-opt them and control them.”

In the U.S.-Israel Iran war, the communist regime has been calling for end to war. It has not been part of Mr. Trump’s condescending of the Pope and profanity of God. Instead, it has been Mr. Mr. Trump, the preacher man of good governance and freedom of speech that has lamentably failed to practice what he preaches that may force him to slide into committing not only venial but mortal sin.

There’s another chapter in the Trump-Pope war of words. By all imagination, the Pope is not saying that he supports Iran to create nuclear weapons to kill people, as President Trump implies. For how can he condemn one killing in support of another? Mr. Trump deliberately ignores what the Pope stands for. He neither stands for one country invading another nor inflicting death nor use of nuclear weapons to kill people. Pope Leo’s words against war and killings are founded on what God through the Bible warns us against and what we should do to serve Him correctly.

He teaches against war. The Bible says, “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” Another verse says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” What Mr. Trump is doing now, during the ceasefire is what he should’ve done without war. You don’t begin war, kill innocent children and old people and others, messy the world economy, with already many people struggling to make ends meet, and then declare a ceasefire. Superpower leaders like Mr. Trump should live as examples of good leaders. But they’re not. That’s why Americans, the Pope and others are reacting the way they are.

Perhaps even more disturbing is the audacity for one person in the name of President of the U.S. to declare war alone on another country without consulting his own people, and external friends, and simply come and ask them to support. Again, American leaders are preacher men of respect for national institutions like the Judiciary, Legislature and Executive and the constitution. They blame African leaders and others who abuse these institutions. Yet, in the U.S.-Israel and Iran war, we observe the hypocrisy and contradictions.

Vice President Vance may be committing sin

As for Vice President Vance’s chasm with the Pope, it’s so unfortunate that a self-proclaimed new Catholic, gasconading of authoring an importantly titled book, “Communion” is today at the center of the Pope’s unfair assault spearheaded by he, who should be seeking spiritual advice from him. Ordinarily, Mr. Vance is the student whose teacher is the Pope. But today the world sees a Vance Vice President-turned stubborn Catholic completely absent of the humility taught by his Church. Instead, he assumes the role of the political master advising the Pope to remain outside politics and focus on religious issues. He believes he has the universal right invade other nations and get them into war

But, according to him, Mr. Vance himself must continue to dictate world politics, war and the communion. It’s ok he can simply support his President’s warmongering at the same time he’s marketing his ‘communion’ to the world. Yet, war and communion never share the same bed. If Communion is Jesus and Jesus is Communion, and Communion is anti-war, how can he who wants to be saved by communion be pro-war? Or how can a pro-war servant of God expect to be saved by communion? Or how can God’s servant with an excellently-titled book, ““Communion: Finding my way back to faith” be a warmonger or support his warmonger president and continue to believe in communion? Pope Leo is right: “Jesus doesn’t listen to prayers of those who wage war.”

“It would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of what’s going on in the Catholic church and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy,” said Mr. Vance, in reference to Pope Leo. The point missed by Mr. Vance is that problems that confront the Vatican that it wants addressed are largely caused by politicians and their public policy. If God forbids war and politicians cause it, and it leads to death and injury of innocent people, the Pope must speak on behalf of God. It’s he who should remind us of the commandment, “You shall not murder.” If war is American public policy, then it’s an integral part of what God forbids, therefore rightly attracts rebuke from the Pope.

Mr. Vance’s ‘keeping up appearances’ in the Communion book is further grievously, vigorously and globally exposed. Another commandment of God is, “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” If God forbids idolatry, and Mr. Vance is unflinchingly supporting his president who fights the Pope, his spiritual master, what David Gardner refers to as, ‘Disastrously thought-out venture to bolster one man’s ego,’ and we all know that Mr. Trump is idolizing himself as Jesus, then questions must be asked about Mr. Vance’s faith. He may not be saying it. But Mr. Trump wants to be remembered as a leader greater than the Pope. And, that’s exactly how sinning begins.

What Mr. Vance, portraying himself as faithful, demonstrates is something I have been saying. I state that the chasm between political leaders who call themselves Catholic and the church is eternal because interests of the former are usually the anti-thesis of the other. They can never ride the same bike. Politicians can pretend to be Catholic but, they end up betraying the church in the end. What the Bible states is true, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot service both God and money.” Mr. Vance chooses Mr. Trump over the Pope or pretends that he serves the two. Mr. Vance now even defends Mr. Trump’s imitation as, or with Christ.

Finally, the President of the United States may be the most powerful man militarily. But he’s still God’s servant. And those who represent God like the Pope must be feared and respected because, ‘in the midst of all afflictions and adversities, they go forward, confident of your mercy and united to You, Jesus, they carry all mankind on their shoulders.’ Remember and read God’s warning: “One should never attack a Priest, even when he’s in error.”