At Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV did what true shepherds of the Church have always done: he spoke the truth with clarity, even when that truth cuts directly against the comfortable lies of those who claim to defend “tradition” while betraying the heart of Catholic faith. Standing before journalists outside Villa Barberini, the Pope confronted the distortion of Catholicism that has become all too common in America: a false religion dressed in Catholic robes, weaponized for political battles, and increasingly divorced from Rome.
The Pseudo-Traditionalists
For years, so-called “traditionalist” Catholics have run campaigns of slander against bishops, priests, and faithful who refuse to bow to their ideology. These self-appointed guardians of orthodoxy demand submission to their narrow agenda—but their real loyalty is not to Christ, not to the Church, and certainly not to Peter. Their loyalty is to partisan politics.
When asked about the attacks against Cardinal Blase Cupich, Pope Leo XIV refused to play their game. Instead, he reminded the world of a basic truth: Catholic morality cannot be reduced to one issue, selectively applied when convenient.
“Someone who says ‘I am against abortion’ but supports the death penalty is not truly pro-life,” the Pope declared. “Someone who opposes abortion but condones the inhumane treatment of immigrants cannot claim to be pro-life either. These are complex matters, but the teaching of the Church on each is very clear.”
In one stroke, Leo XIV dismantled the weaponization of the “pro-life” label by American ideologues who invoke Catholic language but live by a purely political creed.
The False Gospel of “Pro-Life Nationalism”
The backlash came swiftly on social media. Priests and lay activists alike attacked the Pope, twisting his words and claiming that “pro-life” itself is merely a political slogan. But their reaction revealed the deeper reality: they do not want the fullness of Catholic teaching. They want a Catholicism reduced to a single issue, stripped of its universality, and repurposed as a weapon in America’s culture wars.
This is not Catholicism. It is a counterfeit gospel, a nationalist religion masquerading as faith. It takes its cues not from Rome, but from the rhetoric of American politics.
The Evangelical Infection
Pope Leo XIV’s greatest concern is the creeping infection of evangelical-style fanaticism into American Catholic life. What has emerged is a hybrid—what some call “Catholic evangelism”—that borrows from the literalist, fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible and marries it to the militant spirit of American nationalism.
The result is poisonous: a Church that serves political Caesar rather than the successor of Peter.
This is most visible in the agenda of Project 2025, the ideological blueprint driving the current U.S. administration. Far from being merely a set of policies, Project 2025 envisions a society in which religion is no longer free but is reshaped into a state tool. Catholicism, under such a program, is in danger of being absorbed into the MAGA movement—transformed into a nationalist cult that answers to Washington, not to Rome.
Rome or Washington?
This looming danger is why the Vatican has sought to strengthen leadership in the United States through appointments like Cardinal Robert Prevost. The Church cannot allow the drift toward an “American Catholic Church” to go unchecked.
Yet the signs are ominous. Figures such as J.D. Vance, now poised to shape the nation’s future, embody the vision of a National American Catholicism—Catholic in name but MAGA in substance. It is a Church in which loyalty to political power trumps loyalty to Peter, and in which the altar is subordinated to the throne.
The choice for American Catholics could not be starker: fidelity to the Pope or submission to Washington. Communion with Rome or capitulation to a nationalist cult.
The Pope Left to Fight Alone
What is most scandalous is that Pope Leo XIV stands largely alone in this battle. Around the world, Catholics remain passive, even silent, as this false religion metastasizes. Too many bishops and faithful prefer to watch from the sidelines while the Bishop of Rome confronts the wolves directly.
The Holy Father’s courage at Castel Gandolfo should be a rallying cry. Instead, he is left to fight this new heresy—the MAGA heresy—almost by himself.
The Stakes of the Battle
History is unambiguous: every time the Church has allowed itself to become the handmaid of worldly power, it has lost its soul. From the compromises of the Constantinian age to the national churches enslaved by kings and dictators, the lesson is the same: when Catholics choose the throne over the altar, they betray Christ.
Pope Leo XIV has exposed the deception of those who would hijack the faith for partisan gain. He has reminded us that the Catholic Church is universal, not national; that her mission is eternal, not political.
The question now is whether Catholics—especially in the United States—will stand with Peter, or with the false prophets of political idolatry. Will they recognize the Pope as the Vicar of Christ, or will they bow before the golden calf of nationalism?
The time for illusions is over. A Church that is faithful to MAGA is no longer faithful to Christ. And a Catholic who chooses Washington over Rome is not Catholic at all.
Marco Baratto