Pope Francis criticizes “a handful of tyrants” during Africa trip
Pope Francis took advantage of his trip to Africa to point out a new flaw, this time directed at “a handful of tyrants” on a continent that houses some of them as well as against “warlords”. “They close their eyes to the fact that billions of dollars are being spent to kill, to devastate,” he lamented on Thursday during his visit to Cameroon, “while the resources necessary for healing, education, and reconstruction are nowhere to be found.”
Donald Trump attacks “weak” Pope Francis
Donald Trump thought he could treat Pope Francis like a regular Democratic opponent. But the Pope is not just anyone. The first to remind him of this was Giorgia Meloni, who governs the country around which Christianity gravitates. Although she was a fan of the American President, who saw her as a model partner in Europe, she could not tolerate the diatribe. The relations between Rome and Washington are now strained.
The controversy is growing even more in the United States, just six months before the midterms. Catholics are a minority in the country, but their influence can be decisive in certain districts. It is understood that in Pennsylvania, Republican congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, unsure of being re-elected in November, condemned “the offense”, even “the sacrilege” committed by Trump, whose remarks he deems “unworthy of a President”. He demands apologies, a bold move not often seen within the current presidential camp at the Capitol.
God and flags
Conservative Christians are naturally grateful to Donald Trump for championing several of their causes, such as against abortion. However, they are less keen on certain aspects. Like when the President presents himself as the embodiment of Jesus on social media. Or when his Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, mistakenly quotes a passage from the Bible in public, which was actually a prayer invented by Quentin Tarantino in “Pulp Fiction!”
The blunder could not better illustrate the Pope’s anger, resenting those who “manipulate religion in the name of God to satisfy their own military, economic, or political interests, turning what is sacred into darkness and contamination.” The message is even more unsettling for Republicans as it is Pope Francis, born in Chicago, and not their President, who today invokes the values of humanity, solidarity, and generosity on which America was founded 250 years ago.
