Pope Francis, A Contrast to The False Prophets and Ravenous Wolves of MAGA

Pope Francis embodied a Christianity devoted to service, helping the marginalized, and preaching universal love. Meanwhile, MAGA worship Trump, cruelty, and the grift, while cosplaying with a cross.

“Men for others” is what I was taught at my high school, Bellarmine, an all-boys, Jesuit Catholic high school in the Bay Area.

This is where I, a Muslim, first read the Bible and learned how Christians regard Jesus, who is also a major prophet in Islam. Through his selfless actions, Jesus embodied agape, unconditional love for humanity. In turn, we were taught about “faith through service,” specifically helping the most marginalized among us. To live the concept in both word and deed, we had to complete 100 hours of community service to graduate.

This is the model and understanding of Jesus that the late Pope Francis, a Jesuit, attempted to embody during his 12-year tenure as head of the Catholic Church. The 88-year-old, who had been hospitalized earlier for 38 days due to pneumonia, died of a cardiocirculatory collapse following a cerebral stroke.

Vice President J.D. Vance happened to have a quick meeting with the Pope over the weekend in what seems like the most unsubtle sign designed by the heavens. The contrast between the men and their understanding of Christianity could not be clearer.

In his last sermon delivered on Easter, Pope Francis recognized the humanity of Palestinians and called for a ceasefire. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration has openly endorsed the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, called for Gaza to become a Riviera of the Middle East, and is kidnapping and detaining pro-Palestinian immigrants without due process. In a message read to the crowds, Pope Francis continued his critique of anti-immigrant hate, fear-mongering, and hysteria fanned by the Trump Administration and right-wing politicians in Europe: “How much contempt is stirred up at times towards the vulnerable, the marginalized, and migrants!”

Last year, Vance, like every white nationalist, slaver, Klan member, and European colonizer before him, used and abused Christianity to sanction cruelty and racism. He defended Trump’s barbaric anti-immigrant policies by misappropriating the Christian concept of ordo amoris, which he misdefined as a hierarchy that prioritizes concern for certain people over others. Thankfully, Vance is not more Catholic than the Pope, who publicly corrected him in an open letter to American bishops, writing that ordo amoris is “love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.”

But why listen to the Pope when Vance and Catholics like him worship the golden calf of Trump and MAGA?

Similarly, alleged super-Christians Pam Bondi and Karoline Leavitt have no problem lying to the world and gaslighting Americans, following in the footsteps of their political savior, Donald Trump. Both women continue to dehumanize Kilmar Garcia, an innocent immigrant kidnapped and deported to an El Salvador prison, as a “terrorist,” “human trafficker,” and a terrible husband. Meanwhile, like MAGA, they praise the January 6th violent insurrectionists, embrace Andrew Tate, and remain loyal to Donald Trump, a criminal abuser of women. They say this while wearing giant crosses during their pressers and media appearances, and posting Christian tweets on Easter.

None of them can top Nancy Mace, however, whose performance as a compassionate Christian is Oscar-worthy if it weren’t consistently undermined by her actions and rhetoric. Despite posting a stream of religious tweets on Sunday, Mace voluntarily shared a video she taped in which she repeatedly berated a constituent and yelled, “Fuck You!” What did he do to merit such a response from his elected official? He asked her to have townhalls. This is MAGA’s “Christianity.” It's the cross with the sword, or in this case, an AR-15. It’s Jesus in the backseat as Donald Trump, their flawed but necessary instrument, takes the wheel towards the Rapture.

It’s cosplaying as God’s “soldiers,” who are allegedly given celestial permission to purge the land of those deemed “woke” and impure. It’s Pete Hegseth, an abuser of women, who considers himself an American Crusader and has the tattoos to prove it. It’s Russell Vought, one of the architects of Project 2025, who is perfectly fine with children dying from mass shootings and the collapse of US AID as long as it helps create a Christian nation. It’s the “pro-life” crowd that is fine with anti-vaxx conspiracist RFK Jr. as head of the HHS, as measles continues to spread and harm children in America. It’s Justices Alito and Thomas who will bend, twist, and break the Constitution to make this country “Godly” and cruel again.

These are the fake Christians Jesus warned about in the Bible, which I read and studied all those years ago at Bellarmine. "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves,” it says in Matthew 7:15.

In 2025, they wear MAGA hats and giant crosses around their neck.

In today’s episode of Democracy-Ish, Danielle and I talked about the fake, hypocritical Christianity of MAGA and how Trump is exploiting it for power, grift, and his racist policies.

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