Jersey Shore's bishop criticizes Trump's 'inflammatory' Pope attack

• The bishop of the Diocese of Trenton – which includes Monmouth and Ocean counties – spoke out strongly in support of Pope Leo in his ongoing dispute with President Trump.
• O’Connell, who serves more than 700,000 Catholics across Mercer, Burlington, Monmouth and Ocean counties, also asked his parishioners and others to pray for Trump
• The issue received more attention Sunday after three U.S. Catholic cardinals, including Joseph Tobin of the Archdiocese of Newark, appeared on 60 Minutes and defend Pope Leo’s objections to the war.

TRENTON – The bishop of the Diocese of Trenton threw his support behind Pope Leo in his ongoing dispute with President Trump.

He criticized the president for “inflammatory language” but also urged others to pray for Trump.

“Every public official has a responsibility to lead with integrity, prudence, and respect for institutions that serve the common good,” Bishop David M. O’Connell said in a statement Tuesday. “When disagreements arise between civil leaders and the Church, they should be addressed with seriousness and mutual respect.”

O’Connell, who serves more than 700,000 Catholics across Mercer, Burlington, Monmouth and Ocean counties, also asked his parishioners and others to pray for Trump so that he would be guided by “truth, wisdom, justice, and a genuine commitment to the common good.”

He stressed, however, that it’s the job of the pope and all religious leaders to speak out when injustice is being done, which is what Pope Leo has stated is occurring in Iran.

“The Church prays for those who govern, including the leaders of all countries, and she will also continue to speak boldly and courageously when moral truth is at stake,” O’Connell said. “These two responsibilities are not opposed; they belong together, because charity does not mean compromising justice and fidelity to prayer does not mean abandoning the duty to speak truth.”

O’Connell’s statement comes during an ongoing dispute between Trump and Pope Leo, which relates to the war in Iran, which has drawn the pope’s opposition.

The issue received more attention on Sunday after three U.S. Catholic cardinals, including Joseph Tobin of the Archdiocese of Newark, appeared on 60 Minutes and defend Pope Leo’s objections to the war.

Soon after, Trump blasted the pontiff on social media.

“I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Sunday. “Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician."

Hours later, the pope responded to Trump's comment, saying he is not "afraid" of the administration and that the name of the president's social media platform — Truth Social — is "ironic."

O’Connell, who has been the top leader of the Central Jersey diocese since 2010, urged fellow Catholics and others to resist turning such support for peace and justice into a political battle.

“As Catholics, we must resist the temptation to view the Church through the lens of partisan politics,” O’Connell said. “The Pope is not a political rival; he is the spiritual father of the universal Church. Harsh or dismissive criticism wounds not only the person of the Pope but also the unity of believers and obscures the Church’s witness.”

In his Truth Social post, Trump also called Pope Leo "weak" on crime, without providing further explanation, and "terrible" for foreign policy. He also asserted that the pontiff has Trump to thank for his current position.

"Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise," Trump wrote. "He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.”

Pope Leo has repeatedly called for peace in the Middle East and warned that Jesus "does not listen to the prayer of those who wage war." That seemed to be a response to comments by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has said Americans should pray for victory over Iran "in the name of Jesus Christ."

Trump further raised eyebrows on Sunday by posting an illustration of himself on Truth Social as a Christ-like figure. Amid criticism from religious conservatives, the image was later removed.

Along with O’Connell and Cardinal Tobin of Newark, many other U.S.-based Catholic leaders have spoken out against Trump’s comments, including Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“I am disheartened that the President chose to write such disparaging words about the Holy Father,” Coakley said in a statement. “Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.”

The pope had praised the ceasefire Trump announced last week, but over the weekend, as peace negotiations failed in Pakistan, Pope Leo said in a prayer service, "Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life."

O’Connell ended his lengthy statement with a reminder that religious leaders need to stand firm in their beliefs in both good times and bad.

“The Church’s voice is not always welcomed — but it must always remain faithful," O’Connell said. "Pope Leo XIV has offered us an example of calm, principled leadership. We should follow that example by responding not with anger or fear, but with steadfast faith and renewed commitment to the Gospel.”

Joe Strupp is an award-winning journalist with 35 years’ experience who covers Lakewood, Jackson, and several local communities for APP.com and the Asbury Park Press. He is also the author of four books, including Killing Journalism on the state of the news media, and an adjunct media professor at Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Reach him at [email protected] and at 732-413-3840. Follow him on Twitter and TruthSocial at @joestrupp