It’s no secret that Donald Trump has a history of disrespecting Christian beliefs, but his ongoing feud with Pope Leo XIV over his administration’s use of Christianity to justify the war in Iran has taken the attacks to the next level.
In an exclusive Zeteo Town Hall with Mehdi recorded last week, Fr. James Martin, a senior Jesuit priest and editor-at-large of America Magazine, explains why the Trump administration’s attacks against the Pope aren’t just wrong – they’re “shockingly un-Christian.”
On Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s March prayer for violence against those “who deserve no mercy,” Martin tells Mehdi: “It’s a complete perversion of the gospel.” He adds, “To say that people don’t deserve mercy is about as un-Christian as you could get.”
Martin also believes that the Trump administration and the Republican Party’s brand of Christian nationalism is being weaponized to create an “us versus them” narrative to justify violence and determine “who’s American” and who’s not. It represents “the opposite of Jesus’s message,” he says.
Paid subscribers got to ask Fr. Martin their own questions, including whether Catholic voters are turning against Trump and the limitations of military force under the Catholic “just war” doctrine.
Paid subscribers can watch the full video above. Free subscribers can watch a 4-minute preview. Consider becoming a paid subscriber to unlock content like this from Zeteo – and also to join future Zeteo live town halls with big-name guests and newsmakers.
***Editors note: This interview was recorded before the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington DC on Saturday.
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