Donald Trump’s insult to the Catholic Church on Friday May 2nd 2025 – by publishing an AI image of himself dressed in papal attire while the church was still in mourning for Pope Francis – tells us that he thinks he can get away with that – because he has bought the loyalty of Catholics by patronising them.  

Massimo Faggioli – Theologian

This is the conclusion of Catholic theologian Massimo Faggioli of Villanova University, writing in the Catholic outlet La Croix International.

“Trump would not have tried, and even less succeeded, in that stunt with other religions or other churches. He did it for two reasons: because Catholicism represents surreptitiously a “civilizational” pillar in U.S. culture and politics today, and because he knew he could get away with it. The assumption is that Catholicism is his to treat as he wishes, because he bought it and it’s Catholics that should be grateful to him (which is what you surmise when you hear some Catholics talking or writing about how good this presidency is for the church).

“Catholicism in the United States will need to draw clearer distinctions between itself and the Trump administration—both institutionally and symbolically—something it has yet to fully do, despite legal actions by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and occasional policy criticism.” 

To read the complete article in La Croix – ‘Pope Trump’ and the dangers of the new ‘Catholic moment’ in the United States‘ click here.