Deplorable rise of MAGA catholicism

Some popes fit their times to perfection. Pope John XXIII was a progressive pope whose Vatican II reforms occurred just as The Beatles were setting the world alight.

- Ian Buruma

John Paul II was exactly the right man to nudge the crumbling Soviet Empire to its demise. The big question when the Conclave to choose Pope Francis’s successor began was whether the next pope would be a reactionary figure to match the right-wing populist mood of our Trumpian era?

We now know that this is unlikely. The surprising election of Pope Leo XIV is probably a sign that his predecessor's spirit will prevail. But some active right-wing Catholic lobbyists have done their best to push back against the most progressive stances of the last pope; his tolerance of homosexuality, his care for the poor, his concerns about climate change, and not least, his opposition to some of Donald Trump's policies. Many of these lobbyists are Americans, and most support Trump.

These so-called MAGA Catholics are well-connected and well-financed.