Bishop Robert Barron criticized media coverage of tensions between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV, calling the narrative of a 'war' between them 'absurd.' In a post on X, Barron argued that the media exaggerated divisions over Iran policy, citing the Catholic Church's Catechism, which states that determining the morality of war is the responsibility of civil authorities, not the Church. Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly condemned Trump's rhetoric toward Iran, including a statement that 'a whole civilization will die tonight' and urging Catholics to contact Congress to oppose war. Trump responded by calling the pope 'WEAK on crime' and 'terrible for Foreign Policy.'
In a separate development, '60 Minutes' faced criticism for featuring progressive Catholic cardinals who opposed Trump's policies on immigration and Iran. Critics, including Media Research Center's Tim Graham, accused the program of ignoring issues like abortion where the Church and Democrats disagree. The segment included Cardinal Blase Cupich, Cardinal Robert McElroy, and Cardinal Joseph Tobin, who criticized Trump's immigration enforcement methods and the White House's portrayal of the Iran conflict.
Bishop Barron emphasized that the Church's role is to advocate for peace and moral constraints in war, not to judge the justice of specific conflicts. Pope Leo XIV has made increasingly direct statements against war, quoting scripture to condemn violence and calling for an end to 'the idolatry of self and money.' Trump has removed controversial posts, including one depicting himself as a modern-day Jesus Christ, after backlash from Catholic leaders.