Facade of Christian Nationalism

Public Letter to Pope Leo XIV

Your Holiness, Pope Leo XIV:

On this holy day, I am writing this publicly as a follower of Jesus Christ and a long-term observer of the Holy See’s spiritual stewardship – who deeply respects its ancient traditions, its role as the custodian of Christ’s teachings, and its duty to guard the moral conscience of the faithful.

The Church’s hallmark has never been simply identifying piety, but recognizing when a soul or a society is misaligned relative to its eternal potential, and acting decisively to correct its course. The great Saints are a prime example: their works of mercy, expanding theological margins, consistent spiritual throughput, and the opening of countless hearts to Grace speak to their service succeeding on every divine metric. At a time when the world struggles with the prevalence of sin, the Church has historically been the foundation upon which civilization could rely on for guidance.

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By contrast, the current American movement called “Christian Nationalism” espoused by Donald Trump / MAGA and led prominently by political figures like J.D. Vance and the late Charlie Kirk, is experiencing a demonic trajectory. Its recent actions reflect not a zealous defense of the faith, but a fundamental deterioration driven by formidable political and structural sin.

In recent revelations, the actions of Secretary Hegseth to kill “drug smugglers” including those that have been mortally wounded – one of the most grievous public sins since the Christian Nationalist movement began – suggest sin is becoming a structural fabric of American culture.

We can all agree murder is one of the great sins. But to murder someone who may have been mortally wounded and perhaps even innocent (these “drug smugglers” could just have been a group of local fishermen), is a sin far more evil and heinous than even what our 10 commandments revealed.

This may be a stretch, but even victims of Hitler’s Holocaust were given the opportunity to work and survive. Many escaped because they developed the fortitude to wait out their enemies’ eventual demise. But to kill a woman, ignoring even if she is in front of children, while she is mortally wounded and to gloat about it (“lethal, kinetic strikes” according to Hegseth’s latest tweet) is despicable deserving perhaps the most harsh judgment from our Lord and Savior. But alas that judgement is not ours, but for a higher power.

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You represent the Light and the message of our Lord and Savior for a large population of humanity globally. This is where I urge you to be direct and continue to provide public intervention (and condemnation to this heinous act by Pete Hegseth). For Your Holiness’ Christian message (we love your tweets so please continue) to become strategically compelling for the salvation of souls not only to Catholics, it must:

1. Repute the growing facade. Publicly and unequivocally separate the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church from the masquerade of “Christian Nationalism” promoted by J.D. Vance and House Speaker, Mike Johnson.
2. Denounce the evil of conflating the Cross with the flag in a manner that justifies the killing of innocent, wounded human beings. This is a spiritual facade with a Christian-sounding brand, bearing the weight of an increasingly fragile and demonic operating model.
3. Condemn the continued killing of innocent humans by the “Department of War.” Explicitly condemn Secretary Hegseth’s reported order to Admiral Bradley (who also deserves equal condemnation for following inhumane, illegal orders) to execute survivors of a “drug attack” as a grave evil. There is no justification for the murder of the innocent and wounded. This act is moral depravity; it is one of the worst sins anyone can commit by claiming they’re a “Christian.” I may be wrong so I leave that judgement up to Your Holiness.

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Respectfully, Your Holiness – for I am just a mere Christian with an average life – silence or avoidance is not the right approach here. You must be direct, forceful and provide condemnation of such heinous acts – especially for “Christians” who claim to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Your service to humanity and divine messages of faith you share with the global community has repeatedly demonstrated that when a devote teacher of the Gospel stands firm in his moral conviction – irrespective of any political consequences – he can bring light not only to those who are in darkness, but he can reshape humanity’s moral course.