Trump is clashing with the pope. That's a fight he can't win. | Opinion
The Vatican's unusually direct criticism of President Trump's war rhetoric points to a deeper clash – with potential political consequences among Catholic voters.
Decades ago, Joseph Stalin dismissively asked an adviser, "How many divisions does the pope have?" The answer, of course, was none. But the Soviet dictator overlooked something more powerful: the moral authority of the pope – for millions, the earthly representative of Jesus Christ.
The Trump administration seems to have forgotten the power of the papacy. During a closed-door meeting at the Pentagon in January with Cardinal Christophe Pierre, then the papal ambassador to the United States, a senior Vatican official described a "frank and direct dialogue" and clear differences between the Vatican and the United States. It was not "a walk in the park."
What prompted officials to summon Cardinal Pierre to the Pentagon was Pope Leo XIV’s speech on Jan. 9. Speaking to ambassadors to the Vatican, Leo warned, "War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading." He added that the Holy See "cannot ignore" the destruction of hospitals, energy infrastructure, homes and other essentials, calling it a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
When President Donald Trump recently warned Iran that "a whole civilization will die tonight," the pontiff's response was unusually blunt. Speaking in English, Leo called the threat “truly unacceptable,” and urged Catholics to contact their congressional representatives: "We don't want war, we want peace."
Iran war widens divide between the Vatican and the White House
As the Iran war has progressed, the differences between the Trump administration and the Vatican have sharpened. Trump has said that God sides with the United States because “God is good.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called for a military victory against enemies who “deserve no mercy” “in the name of Jesus Christ.”
Pope Leo countered that "anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs."
On Palm Sunday, he added that God "does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war," echoing the Prophet Isaiah: "Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood."
After threatening to destroy Iran then announcing a shaky two-week ceasefire on April 7, Trump posted, "Our great Military is Loading Up and Resting, looking forward, actually, to its next Conquest."
The boast clashes with the teachings of St. Augustine, who warned that an "earthly city" is driven by pride, self-love and the pursuit of power that “leads to destruction.” At a prayer vigil for peace, Leo was emphatic: “Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”
The “bitter lecture” delivered to Cardinal Pierre at the Pentagon prompted the Vatican to decline an invitation for the American-born pope to visit the United States on July 4, America's 250th anniversary. Instead, Leo will travel to the Italian island of Lampedusa, a first stop for refugees seeking asylum in Europe.
The choice is deliberate: a reminder that the dignity of all people must be respected. In 2013, Pope Francis visited Lampedusa and called for a "reawakening of consciences" to counter the "indifference" shown to migrants.
Early in his second term, Trump declared, "I run the country and the world." Later, he said he would be governed not by international law but by "my own morality."
But as Leo reminded diplomats, "Great is the folly of pride in those who think the supreme good can be found in this life, and that they can become happy by their own resources."
Polls show Pope Leo is more popular than Donald Trump
A March NBC News poll shows that Pope Leo is more popular than Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, President Donald Trump, the Republican Party, former Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Democratic Party.
His approval rating transcends politics yet still influences it. A recent Fox News survey of U.S. Catholics finds a majority now disapprove of Trump's performance, a reversal from late February, when most approved. That gap may reflect a growing tension among Catholic voters hearing Leo's message.
More than four decades after Joseph Stalin reportedly asked how many divisions the pope had, communism fell without a fight in 1989. Led by the Polish-born Pope John Paul II, the papacy proved more powerful than the Soviet Union's armies.
Donald Trump and his administration would do well to remember that moral authority can outlast military power.
John Kenneth White is a professor emeritus at The Catholic University of America and the author of "Grand Old Unraveling: The Republican Party, Donald Trump, and the Rise of Authoritarianism." Follow him on Substack.