You could hear the cheering. Pope Francis slams Donald Trump. Build bridges not walls, he says. Man of God humiliates demagogue as “not a Christian”. So perhaps America’s 70 million Catholics will not vote for him after all. That should see off Trump and all his types.
Hold on a minute. Suppose Trump had espoused birth control and abortion – which we can assume he privately supports – and suppose the pope had castigated him as unchristian for that. Imagine the howls. Who elected the pope? Why doesn’t he stand for office? What about his dodgy priests?
The role of faith in politics has always been vexed. The Church of England’s record at least until the last half century was deplorable, its unelected prelates in the Lords obstructing everything from Catholic emancipation to parliamentary reform. Even today it fights for church school privileges and its seats in parliament. Its recent lurch to the left has infuriated the right as much as its conservatism used to infuriate liberals.
The power of the Catholic church too may be waning, even in such bastions as Ireland and Latin America. But the pope’s visit to Mexico shows the superstar status of his office is still awesome. His antagonism to drug reform and abortion – even in the current Zika epidemic – shows an astonishing doctrinal cruelty towards the poor and women.
Of course many priests are sensitive and progressive souls. That is not the point. The point is that power in a democracy should reside in those who stand for election, set out their stall and win over the public in open debate. Appeals to the supernatural should have no part in it.
Trump appears, however briefly, to have opened a new front in American politics. In large part it lies in articulating the latent prejudices of voters programmed to fear, and fed up with being told whom they may and may not offend. Trump has tapped into the craving for authenticity, for the real not the synthetic, the strongly-held view, however appalling.
Of course the pope is right to champion bridges not walls, compassion not damnation. But he should first examine the beams in his own eye rather than the motes in others. He too is a man of walls and damnations. Priests should beware of attacking those who at least have the guts to seek the public’s verdict on their views.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010
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The pope should beware of criticising Trump. The church has its own walls and damnations
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