Thousands have signed a progressive Christian group’s petition urging Catholic bishops to withdraw support for ex-President Donald Trump.
Faithful America, endorsing social justice causes and opposing “Christian nationalism,” called on Catholics to condemn bishops who support Trump’s “Christofascist campaign.”
The group highlighted Archbishop Timothy Dolan and former Bishop Joseph Strickland for praising Trump and endorsing a sermon falsely claiming Democrats cannot be Catholic.
Faithful America referenced Pope Francis’s call for more pastoral behavior, asserting that Trump’s policies do not represent faithful Catholics or Jesus.
The petition criticized pro-Trump actions as partisan, unpastoral, and harmful, urging bishops to refrain from similar behavior in the 2024 election.
It emphasized the Gospel’s teachings of love, equality, and dignity, contrasting them with the MAGA movement’s rejection of these values.
A spokesperson for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops clarified that the Catholic Church doesn’t endorse specific candidates and mentioned a teaching document to guide Catholics in forming their consciences.
Faithful America celebrated Pope Francis’s removal of Bishop Strickland in November, describing him as an election-denying, QAnon-spreading, divisive figure. Strickland had opposed the pope’s reforms and criticized President Joe Biden as “evil.”
Pope Francis previously criticized some conservative American Catholics for prioritizing political ideology over church doctrine, denouncing the replacement of faith with ideologies among reactionary Catholics.
This anti-Trump petition by Faithful America is not the first time the group targeted the former president.
Their petitions often advocate left-of-center political causes through a Christian lens, condemning Trump, the MAGA movement, and the religious right.
A previous petition criticized “MAGA Republicans” for cruel immigration policies, while another from February 2023 labeled Trump as the “insurrectionist ex-president,” urging Christians to support a different candidate.
