West Deer resident Sam Mayhan has only ever voted for one person for president: Donald Trump.
But the 28-year-old Catholic is now “pretty perturbed,” finding himself torn between his political allegiance and his faith following the president’s recent social media attacks on Pope Leo XIV.
“I don’t think the pope was condemning Trump; I think he was just relaying the message of the Gospel,” Mayhan said. “Pope Leo is just the messenger. And so if the president has a problem, it sounds to me like it’s a problem with the Gospel rather than the pope.”
The pope used his Palm Sunday message to emphasize that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.” On Easter Sunday, Trump posted a profane message, threatening Iran’s power plants and bridges. On April 7, Trump threatened to bomb Iran and eradicate a “whole civilization” — comments the pope called “truly unacceptable.” Trump retaliated on Sunday. He called Leo “weak on crime,” told him to “focus on being a great pope, not a politician,” and posted an AI-generated photo depicting himself as Jesus.
For Mayhan, who was heavily involved with the local Republican Party leading up to the 2024 election, the image was a breaking point. The matter is deeply personal: His mother was grazed by a bullet at the 2024 Butler rally where gunman opened fire on the then-candidate Trump.
“As someone whose mother was wounded at that rally — and who really did feel there was divine intervention by the Lord — his explanation of the photo was extremely insulting,” Mayhan said. “For someone who probably owes his life to God to put himself in that light was really blasphemous and quite offensive.”
Mayhan said the administration’s actions during the ongoing Iran war have left the president’s inner circle of supporters split “about 50/50” between those who are loyal and those who feel conflicted.
“It really seems like he’s gotten away from what he promised his base when he ran,” Mayhan said.
Catholic studies experts weigh in
Charles Gillespie, an associate professor of Catholic studies at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, said while popes often disagree with world leaders, the visibility of this conflict is unprecedented.
“What’s new and different about this one,” he said, “is you’ve got a direct discussion that everyone can see through social media and the press.”
Gillespie noted that while the Catholic faith pushes for peace, it does reference Saint Augustine’s “just war theory,” which defines specific criteria for justified conflict.
“I think one of the ways to reconcile the disagreements between the president and the pope have to come down to whether criteria of Catholic just war … gets applied in the context of current global realities,” Gillespie said.
Oakdale resident Rob Gresser, a Catholic and Republican with a master’s degree in theology and ethics, said he disagreed with Trump’s criticism of the pope.
“Our current actions do not meet the tenets of just war theory,” he said. “However, those tenets fail to fully consider terrorism and how a nation uses means of debilitating the economy of other nations as a form of extortion.
“If you look at how Iran has been using the Strait of Hormuz to force the hand of other nations, it has led to massive inflation around the world, which is severely impacting people of lower socioeconomic levels and their ability to survive and stay healthy.”
Bishops weigh in
The religious leadership in Western Pennsylvania has handled the polarization carefully.
Diocese of Greensburg Bishop Larry Kulick declined to comment on the discourse between Trump and the pope. In response to the U.S. military attacks in Iran and other global tension, Kulick organized a local prayer vigil for peace Saturday at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg.
Diocese of Pittsburgh Bishop Mark Eckman supported the pope’s calls for peace.
“Pope Leo XIV, as the Vicar of Christ, serves as a spiritual shepherd with concern for everyone, no matter their faith,” Eckman said in an emailed statement. “He speaks by inviting us to live with reverence for human life and for the dignity of every person.
“As he has reminded us, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers.’ Respect for life is central, and the church continues to call for unity and for hearts open to communication and reconciliation. We are grateful for the Holy Father’s leadership and join him in this call, praying for calm in our world and for all who are working to build a lasting peace.”
Gillespie said local bishops are likely hesitant to alienate different wings of their pews.
“Americans on very different sides of polarized issues are devoted Catholic Christians,” he said.
Local Catholics offer perspectives
The sentiment among other local Catholics remains sharp.
Cheswick resident Anne Cook said it was a sin for Trump to portray himself as Jesus.
“It’s a sin to post it. It’s a sin for whoever produced it. It’s a sin for whoever reproduces it,” said Cook, 73. “To imitate the Lord, it’s terrible.”
Despite having voted for Trump, Lauren Gomez, 45, of Irwin called the choice to post the AI-generated image a disgrace.
“President Trump won the popular vote by a slim margin with just over 77 million votes,” she said. “However, with an estimated 53 million Catholics in the U.S., he would be smart to reflect on who put him in office.”
South Greensburg resident Mike Poulich did not vote for Trump, but he prays for him everyday — an action he believes is even more necessary in light of his recent social media comments.
“I just don’t feel that President Trump is leading our country the right way. He just doesn’t care how he speaks on TV,” said Poulich, 78. “He doesn’t care what he speaks about people, and that’s not what Pope Leo or any Christian would want. It just reflects badly on our whole country.”
Greensburg resident Judy McChesney agrees with Trump that the pope should not publicly discuss politics.
“I don’t think anything that the pope is saying is blasting politics,” said McChesney, 75. “He’s sticking up for the oppressed. But then (the Trump administration) twists it to make it sound like he is.”
Pavel Marin, 20, of Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, was troubled to see the president “picking a fight with the leader of the Catholic Church.
“Not only is he the first American pontiff but he has (voted in) Republican (primaries) before,” Marin said. “This conflict should show us one thing — there is a clear distinction between Republican and MAGA. There is no place to tell the pope to stick to ‘morality’ while indiscriminately bombing towns and schools.”
Gillespie expects the discourse between Trump and Leo will die down soon. But he hopes to see continued public discussions surrounding religion and politics because of it.
“We need to have more of these conversations where we listen to others,” he said. “That’s going to lead to less conflict. That’s going to allow us to actually walk and think and live together.”
Staff writers Patrick Varine, Renatta Signorini and Haley Daugherty contributed to this report.