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3h ago

Republican Pushback Mounts in Trump’s Clash With Pope Leo

Republican pushback underscores the political risk from a pope whose fluent English carries his peace appeals straight into U.S. debate.

People gather for Mass at the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation Parish in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on July 9, 2023.
Mary Meehan, a longtime attendee at Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation Parish, a Roman Catholic church in Brooklyn, New York.

Overview

  • Sen. John Kennedy, in a Fox News interview Sunday, urged President Trump to end a “new holy war with the pope” and warned it diverts Republicans from cost‑of‑living messaging.
  • On his Africa tour, Pope Leo said he does not want a back‑and‑forth with the White House and restated that his focus is peace and civilian protection in the Iran war.
  • The Bishop of Palm Beach, whose diocese includes Mar‑a‑Lago, projected a statement at Sunday Mass condemning Trump’s posts as “disrespectful and violent” and citing religious freedom.
  • Vice President JD Vance struck a softer tone on X, saying disagreements with the pope happen and affirming that Leo “preaches the gospel,” after earlier telling him to stick to morality.
  • Analysts say Leo’s native English removes a long‑time Vatican translation buffer, sending his critiques straight into U.S. media and raising stakes for Catholics and Republican leaders.