Trump’s clash with the pope reenacts a 1,000-year-old question: What happens when sacred and secular power collide?

From its earliest centuries, Christianity was bound up with politics, with frequent tensions between government power and religious authority.

By: Joëlle Rollo-Koster, University of Rhode Island, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: April 15, 2026

Words: 1,246

Last Updated: 3 months, 2 weeks ago

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By Joëlle Rollo-Koster, University of Rhode Island

Alarm over the war of words between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV has escalated with remarkable speed, from The New York Times to the Daily Beast and local television.

The pope has repeatedly called for peace in the Middle East since the start of the Iran war, insisting that “God does not bless any conflict” and warning against the “delusion of omnipotence.”

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