Brady Penfield
Pope Leo XIV, head of the Catholic Church, has recently been subject to heavy public scrutiny by President Trump, and his allies, in light of criticism directed at the administration.
Most notably, on April 12th, President Trump fired at the Pope with a lengthy Truth Social post referring to Pope Leo as “Weak on crime, and terrible on foreign policy” as well as “weak on nuclear weapons.” Trump then followed up the post with an AI generated image depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure healing an individual. Shortly thereafter the AI image was taken down due to public outcry of what many perceived as blasphemy.
Americans are generally familiar with the responsibilities of the President of the United States in overseeing domestic security, foreign policy, economic prosperity, etc. The President serves as the leading secular authority in America and ostensibly the western world. On the other hand, most Americans, through no fault of their own, would struggle to articulate even a single duty that comes with the office of the Seat of Peter.
According to Catholic dogma, the Pope’s primary functions are to teach, to sanctify, and to govern. He serves as the supreme teacher and guardian of the faith. When speaking “ex cathedra”(from the seat of Peter) he possesses papal infallibility which removes the possibility of error. This has only been invoked twice ever and is reserved for matters of doctrine concerning faith and morals. He has a duty to prevent doctrinal error. As the supreme pastor of the universal Church, he serves Christians everywhere and seeks to preserve unity in faith and communion abroad. Lastly, the Pope has supreme jurisdiction over the Church in its entirety including disciplinary and ecclesiastical matters. Bishops, clergy, and faithful are bound by hierarchical subordination.
It’s important to note that the Pope is not above God or the Church, rather he is a servant. The ministry is exercised in communion with the College of Bishops, of which he is the head. As previously mentioned, infallibility and supreme jurisdiction only apply to the office. They do not apply to personal opinions or non-definitive statements. Thus, the faithful are not bound to any personal opinions of the Pope.
Moving on, there has been recurring themes in the rhetoric being hurled at the Pope regarding some personal opinions and unfounded claims.
The first of which, and the most prominent, is that he is a “Woke” Pope. Pope Leo has consistently affirmed unwavering opposition to the blessing of homosexual marital unions, abortion in any capacity, transgender lifestyles, communism, and Marxism.
Next, the Pope has been labeled “weak on crime”. Pope Leo has consistently affirmed a nation’s right to maintain its borders as well as deportation processes. The only time he has been critical is when voicing dissatisfaction in the deportation of long-standing non-criminal illegal aliens in the United States. I would like to note that many prominent Republicans share this stance with the Pope. Furthermore, the Pope has not criticized the deportation of criminal illegal aliens.
Lastly, disingenuously, people have claimed the Pope supports the Iranian Regime due to his opposition to the Iran War in its entirety. The Pope is wholly unconcerned with picking allegiances in any conflict. His understanding is always rooted in humanitarian efforts to preserve the sanctity of life no matter the geography. Likewise, Pope Leo, and the Catholic Church historically, has persistently condemned the use of nuclear weapons as well as genocide.
In addition, the Catholic Church employs a “Just War Doctrine”. All four criteria must be reached for a war to be deemed “just”. The criteria are as follows: “Damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave and certain; All other means of putting an end to the war must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective; There must be serious prospects of success; The use of arms must not produce evils and disorders greater than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.”
Overall, Pope Leo’s core message throughout the Iran War has been that war is a moral failure, and true strength lies in pursuing peace through dialogue. While speaking to reporters, on April 13th, he firmly stated “I am not a politician…let us always seek peace and put an end to war…The message of the Church is the message of the Gospel, blessed are the peacemakers; I do not see my role as that of a politician.” Take his word for it.
In closing, I encourage discernment when noticing news headlines regarding Pope Leo XIV. As Christians we are called to be witnesses to the faith and truth. Let your faith define your politics.
Brady Penfield is a Roman Catholic, lifelong Wisconsinite and UW-River Falls graduate. He is a former State Assembly candidate and a leader in the young conservative movement in Wisconsin.
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