David Kurtz's quote of the day:
“Blessed are the peacemakers! But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”
—Pope Leo XIV
#PopeLeo #Trump #JDVance #WhiteChristianNationalism
/35
https://morningmemo.talkingpointsmemo.com/p/ice-agent-faces-state-charges-in
"Lecturing the pope on theology might smack of hubris, but it is an outgrowth of an even more arrogant idea: that Trump himself is a holy figure. …
The idea of Trump as Jesus is of course something that only cultists can believe. MAGA in its most intense form does resemble a cult. Trump-as-Jesus is also a theology of authoritarianism. It implies that Trump cannot be criticized. This explains the frenzied MAGA attacks on Pope Leo."
Jeet Heer thinks the following is why Trump may be triggered by the pope:
"Donald Trump’s harshest critics accuse him of being an aspiring king, but recent religious controversies make clear that the president could have even higher ambitions: to be a spiritual monarch and perhaps even the King of Kings."
#Trump #Hegseth #JDVance #PopeLeo #WhiteChristianNationalism
/33
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-pope-leo-attacks/
"To put it simply, I’m moved by Pope Leo’s consistent message of peace, and his stalwart courage in standing up to Donald Trump’s abusive rhetoric and lunatic behavior – including posting a meme of himself this week as a Jesus-like figure."
#Trump #Hegseth #JDVance #PopeLeo #WhiteChristianNationalism
/32
"In fact, because of my yoga practice and interest in eastern religion, I’ve even jokingly described myself as 'a lapsed Catholic and a half-assed Buddhist.'
But these days, I’m feeling more aligned with Catholicism than I have been since I wore a frilly white dress for my first communion in second grade.
Why?"
#Trump #Hegseth #JDVance #PopeLeo #WhiteChristianNationalism
/31
"I’ve had my ups and downs with the church of my childhood. ...
I’ve felt both incapable and unwilling, for decades, to hew to the letter of the Catholic laws – there are so many of them, after all! – and have been appalled at the sexual abuse of minors by priests and the coverups. These have indelibly stained Catholicism for many years and pulled me away from the faith."
~ Margaret Sullivan
#Trump #Hegseth #JDVance #PopeLeo #WhiteChristianNationalism
/30
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/17/pope-leo-trump-catholicism
"But when people insist on denying reality and empathy, you do not have an obligation to keep banging your head against a wall and calling it faithfulness. ...
At this point, people have declared themselves.
We know where folks stand. Not in theory but in practice.
The lines are not blurry anymore. They have been drawn, reinforced, and, in many cases, hardened."
#Trump #Hegseth #JDVance #PopeLeo #WhiteChristianNationalism #BlackChurch
/28
"Which means we have to stop pretending we are still in a moment of uncertainty.
We are not. These are times of moral clarity."
#Trump #Hegseth #JDVance #PopeLeo #WhiteChristianNationalism #BlackChurch
/29
"Stop trying to persuade white Christian nationalists.
Not only are you likely to be unsuccessful, but you are also misdirecting your energy from places that need you.
This is not giving up on people. It’s setting a boundary.
You declare where you stand. You remain open to discussing it in good faith."
~ Jemar Tisby
#Trump #Hegseth #JDVance #PopeLeo #WhiteChristianNationalism #BlackChurch
/27
https://jemartisby.substack.com/p/stop-trying-to-persuade-white-christian
Reclaiming Your Time—and Your Mission
"Orbán’s loss is a blow to Vance, who has aligned himself with the departing prime minister and his party, Fidesz. There are similarities between the two men. Both had a Christian awakening when it was convenient; both are obsessed with fertility; both scapegoat immigrants."
~ Sarah Jones
#Trump #JDVance #PeterThiel #PopeLeo #TechBros #SiliconValley #broligarchy #WhiteChristianNationalism
/26
William Lindsey 
