Catholic outrage over the Trump administration's Iran rhetoric intensified Tuesday after a powerful message from Pope Leo asking Americans to call their representatives and a forceful statement from Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, condemning the president's threats against civilians and warning that the destruction of "a whole civilization" cannot be morally justified.
The messages put the Catholic hierarchy in unusually direct conflict with the White House at a moment when President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are already facing backlash over their comments on Iran, and petitions have emerged online asking to expel Vance from the church.
