(RNS) — Pope Francis, in his final public utterance on Sunday (April 20), used his traditional papal Easter message, “Urbi et Orbi,” to universalize a Christian plea: “May the principle of humanity never fail to be the hallmark of our daily actions. In the face of the cruelty of conflicts that involve defenseless civilians and attack schools, hospitals and humanitarian workers, we cannot allow ourselves to forget that it is not targets that are struck, but persons, each possessed of a soul and human dignity.”
This is par for the papal course, but presidents, too, have in the past sent out Easter messages. A year ago Joe Biden conveyed greetings to “Christians around the world,” noting that “Easter reminds us of the power of hope and the promise of Christ’s Resurrection” and pledging “our commitment to work for peace, security, and dignity for all people.”
This year, it would have had made news if President Donald Trump managed to deliver himself of a comparable message.
Once upon a time, in fact, Trump was capable of sending out this sort of thing. As recently as 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 crisis, he asked “all Americans to pray that God will heal our nation,” concluding, “and I want to thank everybody in our country and beyond for all they’ve had to put up with. One hundred and eighty-four countries, as of this morning, are fighting this enemy and we pray for them all.”
But since the election last November, holidays have served as nothing more than occasions to denounce perceived enemies.
Three weeks after being elected, Trump wished “Happy Thanksgiving to all, including to the Radical Left Lunatics who have worked so hard to destroy our Country.” In December it was: “Merry Christmas to the Radical Left Lunatics, who are constantly trying to obstruct our Court System and our Elections, and are always going after the Great Citizens and Patriots of the United States but, in particular, their Political Opponent, ME.” Of the 37 death-row prisoners whose sentences were commuted by Biden, he said, “I refuse to wish a Merry Christmas to those lucky ‘souls’ but, instead, will say, GO TO HELL!”
President Donald Trump’s Easter message post on Truth Social. (Screen grab)
On Easter Sunday, it was again “the Radical Left Lunatics” — this time “who are fighting and scheming so hard to bring Murderers, Drug Lords, Dangerous Prisoners, the Mentally Insane, and well known MS-13 Gang Members and Wife Beaters, back into our Country.” Also “the WEAK and INEFFECTIVE Judges and Law Enforcement Officials who are allowing this sinister attack on our Nation to continue.” Plus: “all of the people who CHEATED in the 2020 Election.”
In sum: “I wish you, with great love, sincerity, and affection, a very Happy Easter!!!” He might have wrapped up the rant instead with, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Not that he knows enough to get the reference.
Be that as it may, we should no more pass lightly over his abuse of religion than we do his casting aside of legal and constitutional obligations — and I don’t just mean the civil religious practice of stepping above the political fray.
As in the thoroughly Christian message offered by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is Jewish, in his own Easter message:
Today is a very special day, a day we always look forward to, a day celebrated by millions — Easter. A day that is a ray of light — especially bright and strong in times when dark clouds try to cover our sky. A day that gives us all hope and reminds us: evil has its hour, but God has His day. This is one of the meanings rooted in the story of Christ — of His earthly suffering and death, and of His resurrection; of the truth that, sooner or later, evil will retreat, and life will prevail.
As for Trump, the most he could manage at the death of this most humanitarian of popes was a perfunctory, “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!” Especially, one imagines, those Radical Left Lunatics.