Trump’s Pope Fixation: A Prisoner’s Dilemma (Part 1/2)
Trump obsessed with the Pope? A battle between power and redemption? It sounds bizarre, but provocative enough to warrant a careful look. What we’re seeing is a prisoner’s dilemma between true faith and political control.
After all, Pope Francis — who just passed away — was considered the most left-leaning Pope in history. And Trump? A Manhattan mogul with multiple bankruptcies and no real belief in religion. Why would he care about a liberal Pope?
Let’s dig in.
1. A 100-Day Pilgrimage
Easter 2025. Pope Francis passed away. Leaders from over 150 countries attended the funeral. Among them: Donald Trump, 100 days into his second term. The world is rattled. The scene, awkward.
His “funeral diplomacy” with Zelensky stole the show. He was criticized for slighting Biden. Cameras caught him laughing, sleeping, glued to his cellphone. His bright blue suit stood out in a sea of black.
Some called it a diplomatic scandal. But beneath the noise, in that historical moment of global mourning, something deeper revealed itself: a window into Trump’s soul.
You pause to wonder — whether you’re religious or not, whether you support Trump or not — what does he really care about? And why?
Trump is not a normal president. His beliefs, desires, and fears cannot be measured by traditional standards. He clearly wants more than power. There is something else, something elusive but unsettling.
The U.S. practices separation of church and state, but most presidents confess faith. Only Kennedy and Biden have been Catholics. Biden is genuinely devout. He prays, confesses, takes communion. His final presidential visit overseas was supposed to be to the Vatican — a planned return, before it was abruptly canceled.
And Trump?
Nobody believes he’s a devout Christian — not even Trump himself, nor the evangelical leaders who lay hands on him. He claims that the Bible is his favorite book, yet he cannot quote a single verse. He uses religious symbols and language not as doctrine but as theater — declaring himself a “missionary” for his voters, while acting more like a conqueror from the Old Testament.
His story with Pope Francis came to a close just as he marked 100 days back in the White House. The nation is in turmoil: government agencies being hollowed out, tariffs weaponized, markets in panic.
In an Atlantic Monthly interview marking his first 100 days, Trump says he’s “having a great time.” But his eyes tell another story.
“Last time, I had two things to do — run the country and survive,” he says. “I had these crooked guys. This time? I run the country and the world.”
But his approval rating has plunged to 39%. He has no mandate — just his base, basically.
Neither his tariff war nor his Ukraine “peace plan” is going well. On Monday, Canada held national elections. The so-called “Trump of Canada,” Pierre Poilievre, didn’t just lose his bid for prime minister — he lost his own seat in Parliament. The anti-Trump Liberal Party surged back. Prime Minister Mark Carney declared:
“Trump wants to break and own us? Dream on.”
In the Australian general elections over the weekend, anti-Trump sentiment has helped give labor a landslide victory. Peter Dutton, known as the “Trump of Australia”, got buried, losing his own seat as well.
Trump wants to own the world. He craves boundless, unchecked power. But he cannot escape his own emptiness. He wants to conquer — but also to be forgiven. This is his spiritual trap: a prisoner’s dilemma between domination and absolution.
This dilemma isn’t his alone. It’s ours too. The difference is, Trump has politicized it — and projected it onto the world stage for everyone to see.
His sins and punishment, his pride and guilt, his yearning and rage, his political empire and his desire for salvation — these aren’t abstract. They shape America. They shape the world. If you don’t understand Trump’s spiritual game, you don’t understand today’s America — or tomorrow’s global order.
Three questions follow:
Was Pope Francis truly the “most left-leaning Pope in history”? If so, how far left?
Why did Trump care so much about this particular papacy, given his hatred for the left and for global institutions? Was it just to court evangelicals — or something deeper?
Trump has spent a lifetime refusing to repent. So why this fixation on a Catholic Pope? If he seeks redemption, what exactly is he afraid of?
This is not a theological debate.
It’s a question of political ethics, spiritual belonging, and world order.
We begin with Pope Francis.
Video: Trump’s Pope Fixation: Power, Redemption and Salvation. A Prisoner’s Dilemma.
2. The Left-Leaning Saint
To understand whether — and how far — Pope Francis is “left-leaning,” as both his admirers and critics claim, we must look at his background, upbringing, accomplishments, and papal actions — details often overlooked.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires in 1936, was the son of Italian immigrant parents. He initially studied chemistry before turning to theology. In 1969, he became a Jesuit priest. His early church career focused on education and pastoral work. In the 1970s, he served as the Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in Argentina.
Bergoglio earned a reputation for humility, concern for social justice, and compassion for the poor. He openly opposed clerical privilege and championed simplicity — a stance that resonated both in Argentina and globally. In 2001, Pope John Paul II elevated him to cardinal.
Known for a leadership style grounded in social responsibility, he navigated Argentina’s complex political landscape.
In 2013, he was elected the 266th Pope, after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI — the first papal resignation in nearly 600 years. The conclave revealed deep internal divisions. Bergoglio was not an early favorite, but emerged as a consensus choice after five rounds of voting — not unlike Joe Biden’s 2020 primary win leading to a general election victory over Trump. Not everyone’s first choice, but broadly acceptable.
And not unlike Biden picking up the pieces after Trump and the pandemic, Francis was viewed as a transitional figure to clean up Benedict’s legacy. He inherited a fractured Church mired in scandals.
Benedict XVI, a scholarly pope, had emphasized doctrinal orthodoxy and resisted the forces of secularism, modernism, and globalization. However, he failed to deal effectively with the Church’s sexual abuse crisis and other scandals, which severely damaged its credibility. Faced with immense pressure to reform, Francis wanted to go global, go to the people, and modernize.
In contrast to Benedict XVI and John Paul II’s (1978–2005) staunch conservatism, Francis’s style was more people-oriented, progressive, and inclusive. He focused on issues like climate change, poverty, and social justice.
As the first pope from outside Europe and from Latin America — home to the largest Catholic population — Francis’s election signaled a response to the “Global South,” where the Church was growing fastest.
He was the first pope to take the name Francis, in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, known for humility, compassion, and care for the poor and nature. This choice framed his papacy as one focused on reform, justice, peace, and dialogue.
He didn’t avoid secular political issues; he actively engaged with them. He was outspoken on capitalism, climate change, immigration, human rights, war, and AI ethics. He criticized global elitism and authoritarianism. His statements repeatedly unsettled traditional conservatives. He was called “the most leftist Pope ever,” drawing ire from the hardline right.
He denounced greed, market cruelty, and the excesses of global finance — calling poverty a form of “structural violence” — and declared climate justice a religious duty. On LGBTQ+ rights, abortion, and family ethics, he didn’t change doctrine but emphasized accompaniment and understanding over judgment. His brand of gentle leftism proved more effective than fiery rhetoric.
Francis was not a Marxist, but he understood that faith must confront structural realities. His declaration that “this economy kills” was not metaphor — it was indictment. Though not a revolutionary, he gave voice to the marginalized and the Global South, becoming a moral symbol for modern progressives — and a convenient target for right-wing populists.
He called for compassion toward migrants and condemned “nationalism disguised as patriotism.” He wasn’t playing politics, but used faith to critique politics’ moral decay.
For many, that was “too left.”
He was the one figure Trump couldn’t ignore. His presence compelled Trump not only to react — but to copy him, and compete for the label of “Savior.”
Critics argue that while Francis advocated and symbolized reform, he did not alter core Church doctrine. Instead, he reframed outdated doctrines in a modern context — what some call a “sacred loophole” that politicians like Trump hijacked to sell politics on the world stage.
Paradoxically, Trump leveraged Francis’s “social justice” stance to win over certain religious voters. The pope’s statements on global governance and fairness sharpened the ideological divide — making Trump’s populist image even more potent.
Francis’s pain became Trump’s marketing.
Trump just shared an AI-generated photo of him dressed as pope, ahead of the papal conclave. The White House official account retweeted it, stirring up an outcry of condemnation.
Francis’s papacy has inspired cultural works. The 2019 film The Two Popes dramatized the relationship between Benedict XVI and Francis, exploring their ideological clash in a fictitious saga. The 2024 film Conclave entirely fictionalized a politically correct papal election — paying homage to Francis’s progressive reforms.
Francis defied left-right labels. The right distrusted him. The left felt he didn’t go far enough. Yet he stands as an open-minded, forward-looking supreme spiritual leader — unlike any other in today’s global and political landscape.
Trump’s obsession with Pope Francis has just taken an even more bizarre turn. Ahead of the papal conclave, he shared an AI-generated photo of himself dressed as the Pope, which was retweeted by the official White House account. The move sparked an outcry of condemnation.
More on this in Part 2. Coming tomorrow: Two Popes; A Sinner Canonized.