A Clash Between the Pope and Trump Was Inevitable — but Let Us Not Choose Between the Heart and the Head

Who ever could have guessed that the election of the first American Pope would cause political problems at home?

From the moment that Robert Francis Prevost became Pope Leo XIV last year, a clash between Rome and Washington was inevitable.

Not least because, for years now, consecutive leaders of the Catholic church have had policies which fly against the policies not just of the US government but any sensible government.

For example, it is hard to find any figure in the world more in favor of open borders than the various men who have held the office of Pope in recent years. Pope Leo, like his predecessor Pope Francis is very keen to speak up for the plight of illegal migrants. But — again like his predecessor — he is silent on the challenges which such migrants bring to the populations expected to absorb them.

Pope Leo has already pointedly announced that he intends to spend July 4 this year on the Italian island of Lampedusa. For years that Mediterranean island — of only 6,000 people — has been one of the main landing spots for illegal migrant boats heading into Europe. Pope Leo’s predecessor also visited the island. And each time the visit is in order to stress the need for the developed world to be “open-hearted,” “welcoming” and much more.

I suppose it is part of the job of a Pope to stress the need for kindness.

Continue reading the entire piece here at the New York Post

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Douglas Murray is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and contributing editor of City Journal.