Colette Potter ‘26
Opinions Editor
President Donald Trump recently posted, and promptly took down, a rendition of himself that looked remarkably like Jesus Christ. The recent remarks by Pope Leo XIV – as well as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth– call into question the relationship between politics and religion. Can they be truly separate? What does a Christian nation mean? I think the US is truly hitting a crisis with the separation of church and state. This foundational principle – which marks us as decidedly different from theocracies such as Iran– is not one to question.
We can be Christian in our morality. There are definitive rights and wrongs, and I think the US should actively try to be on the right side of history: meaning a respect for the self-determination of sovereign nations and the dignity of life for all of humankind. I think these are principles that are increasingly lacking within American politics. We are no longer speaking softly and only carrying a big stick, to engage with Teddy Roosevelt, but rather stomping –not speaking– and using that big stick. We have shifted from starting with respect and instead switched to beginning with threats – the most grievous of these, in my opinion, is against Greenland and Denmark, a NATO ally. While President Trump has engaged with other countries that have many issues, he has done so without Congressional support and proper procedure (including in tax policy with tariffs). President Trump has equated himself to God, as shown with the Trumpian Jesus, and this is concerning for our American democratic republic that ensures a separation of church and state.
Additionally, there is conflict between Pope Leo XIV and the Trump Administration. Secretary of State Macro Rubio was born and has reportedly returned to Catholicism, and Vice President JD Vance is a Catholic convert. How will they reconcile their faith and political actions? That is unknown. However, I think Pope Leo’s outspoken remarks at the Trump Administration and American militancy correspond with what I view as a brilliant quote, by James Baldwin, on being American: “I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” Within the context of religion, I think that we can disagree with American military decisions. We can, through our own and various churches, including the Catholic Church’s, decide what actions are right and wrong. Whatever happens with Iran, I hope that human rights and life are valued above all else – no matter nationality.
Additionally, alongside Pope Leo XIV’s criticisms of the United States military is the rise in young adult participation in the Catholic Church (as seen with the high service attendance at St. Joseph’s in New York City). As more young adults become Catholic converts and return to religion (no matter the theorized reason), I hope that the morality that is present in almost every religion translates to politics, and not this sense of politics as a God-like figure or religion, as illustrated by the Trumpian Jesus. We should reserve the right to call out gross interpretations of Christianity by our political representations – and any conflation of the two should be focused on morality rather than blind idolatry.
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