Catholics who voted for Trump and love Pope Francis want real change.
This week’s guest is Father Jim McDermott, a Jesuit, screenwriter and America’s Los Angeles Correspondent. His latest piece is “Meet these Catholics who voted for Trump and love Pope Francis”
Over 50 percent of U.S. Catholics voted for President Trump and about 80 to 90 percent like Pope Francis. Meeting Catholics who voted for Trump and admire Pope Francis, Father McDermott found that many of these individuals do not find these loyalties contradictory. One of the most surprising things he observed was that these voters were not driven by specific issues or a disdain for Hillary Clinton. Rather, Trump represented a chance to “break open” the divided political system, “to find something new, to find a way forward.”
Some Catholics were unwilling to talk to Father McDermott on the record because they were afraid of how they would be treated at their parishes. Indeed, pastors have to navigate the problem of caring for politically divided parishes. Some priests feel they need to “get out of the way” rather than constantly lecturing parishioners, Father McDermott said. If they present the Word of God and papal teachings respectfully, priests can trust that these Catholics can “put it all together.”
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