Great to see two local Catholic bishops defend Pope Leo and criticize Donald Trump. Their comments were spot on.
In recent weeks with the unnecessary war against Iran dragging on, the Pope called for peace. He said we should “pray for peace” and said, “it’s time for peace.”
Pope Leo recognized the “Horror and inhumanity of war,” “The damage left behind by the madness of war,” and the “benefits of peace.” He demonstrated great leadership with a sense of calm.
When Trump obscenely threatened to annihilate Iranian civilization, the Pope rightfully said that’s “Truly unacceptable.”
Trump could not handle any of this, just like he cannot accept any criticism. So, he threw a tantrum.
He accused the Pope of being “weak on crime,” “catering to the radical left,” supporting Iran’s efforts to have nuclear weapons, and said the Pope should “get his act together as Pope.”
All for calling for peace.
Trump’s comments are preposterous and reprehensible.
So, it was comforting to have Fargo Catholic Bishop John Folda and Crookston, Minnesota Bishop Andrew Cozzens weigh in.
Folda said, “I am disappointed by the president’s criticism of Pope Leo for his prayers and efforts for peace…I join the Pope in praying for peace and encouraging leaders to seek the path of peace.”
Cozzens said, “How sad that our president would be so disrespectful and dismissive of Jesus Christ’s own words spoken to humanity through his vicar…We can never justify the indiscriminate use of violence to kill the innocent.”
They both nailed it.
Of course, Vice President and Trump suck-up JD Vance threw more grease on the fire when he urged the Pope to “Be careful when he talks about matters of theology.”
Yes. What does the Pope know about theology? Who does he think he is by talking about theology? Vance also told Michael Jordan to be careful when talking about basketball.
We also need to mention Trump’s offensive post of himself as Jesus. Trump claimed he was posing as a doctor. Right. And I’m Marcus Welby.
Not to be overlooked is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s outrageous use of religion to justify this war, and his shamefully comparing the news media to the Pharisees.
Pope Leo properly denounced the use of religion to justify this war.
The reality, with one notable exception, is that Popes have a long history of speaking out for peace.
The exception is Pope Pius XII, who during World War II, failed to denounce Nazi atrocities. If he had, it’s possible he could have saved many lives.
Since then, Popes Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis, and now Leo the XIV, have all been outspoken for peace, whether the wars have been in Vietnam, Iraq, Ukraine or Gaza.
May Pope Leo keep speaking out for peace, and may Bishops Folda and Cozzens be right behind him.
–The Fargo city election will be very competitive, but the system is extremely flawed.
Ideally, winners should receive at least 50% of the vote, but that’s unlikely to happen this year. That’s because there is no primary and the North Dakota Legislature disgracefully abolished Fargo’s effective and popular approval voting system.
With five candidates for mayor and eight candidates for city commission, the winners will likely receive a low percentage of the vote. That’s not healthy.
In the city commission race, a candidate could win with just 20% of the vote. So, the polarizing Tony Gehrig could be re-elected to the commission.
Gehrig did not run in the last two elections, because with approval voting, he knew he could not win. Now, with approval voting gone, he’s running again and could win.
–I am very sorry to hear of the tragic death of Fargo State Representative Liz Conmy. She fought hard for equal rights, and was a woman of common sense and compassion. May her memory be a blessing.
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