Trump posts image of him and Jesus, Pope feud continues

US President Donald Trump has posted ‌an representation of Jesus embracing him, arsenic a war of words betwixt his medication and the Pope showed small motion of abating.

The image, reposted to Trump’s ‌Truth Social account, shows Trump with his eyes closed, touching temple-to-temple with a likewise posed Jesus. Trump is standing down a microphone, and down him is an American flag.

The ‌original station had a caption that included the words: “God mightiness beryllium playing his Trump card!”

Trump’s repost added the caption: “The Radical Left Lunatics mightiness not similar this, but I think it is rather nice!!!”

Earlier this week, Trump posted an representation portraying him arsenic a Jesus-like figure. The station prompted widespread disapproval of the Republican president, and helium aboriginal deleted it.

Trump, who does not be religion regularly, has a ample contingent of Christian voters among his base, including Catholics. He has been feuding with Pope Leo, the archetypal US-born ‌leader of the Catholic ‌Church and an outspoken ⁠critic of the war that began with US-Israeli strikes connected Iran.

Trump reiterated his disapproval of the spiritual person ​on Tuesday night. In a abstracted station connected Truth Social, Trump urged that “someone delight tell Pope Leo” astir the killings of protesters by Iran and that “for Iran to person a Nuclear Bomb is perfectly unacceptable.”

On Tuesday evening, Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism successful 2019, said the Pope was wrong to accidental that disciples of Christ are “never connected the broadside of those who erstwhile wielded the sword and today driblet bombs” and that “it’s very, very important for the Pope to beryllium cautious when helium talks astir matters ⁠of theology.”

Leo said successful effect to Trump’s erstwhile attacks that helium had “no fear” of ‌the Trump medication ​and would proceed to speak out. In a forceful speech connected Monday successful Algiers, helium denounced “neocolonial” world powers who helium said were violating planetary law, without singling retired specific ​countries.

The ‌online effect to Trump’s Wednesday station has been much muted than the outrage that accompanied his earlier Jesus post.

Yet high-profile individuals with ties to authorities ​and Catholicism continued to weigh successful connected the administration’s feud with the Pope.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva offered his “deepest solidarity” to the pontiff.

“Throughout mankind’s history, advocates for bid and for the oppressed person been attacked by almighty radical who think they are deities to beryllium adored,” helium said successful a video message.

“It’s amended to person a bosom afloat of emotion than the powerfulness of weapons and money.”

Some Christian leaders successful Africa – where the Pope is fractional way done a whirlwind visit – were much philosophical.

“The religion has endured emperors, revolutions, and ideological storms. ​It will endure this infinitesimal arsenic well,” Cardinal Stephen Brislin, the Archbishop of Johannesburg, wrote successful an op-ed successful the Daily ​Maverick newspaper.

“But endurance is not ⁠the aforesaid arsenic indifference.”

On Wednesday greeting the US-based Knights of Columbus, the largest Catholic men’s fraternity successful the world, defended the Pope successful a statement.

“Pope Leo XIV has consistently called for peace, dialogue, and restraint ​in ​a world marked by war and suffering,” the statement said.

“The Holy Father’s ​words are not governmental talking points – they are reflections of the Gospel itself.”

Republican House ‌Speaker Mike Johnson told attendees astatine a quality league the spiritual person had waded into “political waters.”

Johnson said that helium was “taken a small spot aback” by the Pope’s remarks astir “‘those who prosecute successful war, that Jesus doesn’t perceive their prayers’ oregon something.”

“It is simply a very well-settled substance of Christian theology,” Johnson said. “There’s something called the ‘just war’ doctrine.”

Johnson appeared to beryllium referencing an code fixed by Pope Leo connected March 29 successful St Peter’s Square, when the pontiff said: “(Jesus) does ​not perceive to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you marque galore prayers, I will not listen: your hands are afloat ​of blood’,” citing a Bible passage.

Source: Reuters