Anderson-Alexandria Catholic Pastorate

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Risen indeed! Alleluia!] (Please note: This is not “The Pope Versus the President, Part 2”!) I write this on April 19, during Pope Leo’s visit to four African nations. He is focused on his mission there, not engaged in an ongoing war of words with President Trump (or anyone). As I said last week, Pope Leo is “doing what popes do,” which I say with great admiration for what popes do. Besides following Pope Leo, I’ve been following the public commentary surrounding his statements on the war. Beyond the predictable “President versus Pope” framing, three aspects of the conversation have stood out. The Pope and the Papacy: Opinion has been quite favorable toward Pope Leo, and, to some extent, toward the papacy itself. Context matters: Leo has been Pope for less than a year. His style is notably quieter than that of his predecessor, Pope Francis, often seen as either prophetic or polarizing. There has not (yet) been time for some Catholics to become “pro-Leo” or “anti-Leo.” So it’s not shocking that most Catholics are instinctively rallying to the Pope’s support in reaction to President Trump’s unprecedented public criticism of him. Some non-Catholics (and non-Christians) have done the same, although in some cases this may be more a matter of convenience than conviction. Even so, there seems to be a genuine admiration for Pope Leo, his fidelity to his mission, and his principled stance.
The Catholic Church: Public opinion hasn’t suddenly turned uniformly positive toward the Church. Between the extremes, love and hate, lie many attitudes toward the Church, like interest, curiosity, skepticism, anger, and indifference. Some criticisms of the Church have valid foundations. And the Church’s divine origin does not erase our history’s darker chapters or establish our moral superiority. Still, it gives me hope when ordinary people begin discussing ideas like the Church’s Just War teaching. Jesus: Most importantly, Catholics, some non-Catholics, and some non-Christians have been focusing, rightly, on the Lord, without whom both the Church and the Papacy fall. While some who proudly call themselves Christians try to reinvent Jesus as Mars, the God of War, others are discovering (or rediscovering) Christ's words about mercy, love of enemy and peacemaking, and sincerely considering the claim that he saves the world, not by bearing a sword but by bearing and being borne on a cross. Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Risen indeed! Alleluia! Fr.

 Tom Metzger April 26, 2026