A study in contrasting leaders

In an equally surprising event, we now have TWO Americans in, dare I say, the most influential positions of power in the world!  With Pope Leo XIV the newly appointed leader of 1.4 billion Catholics, one can only marvel at the disparity in character between him and the other American of great power, Donald Trump. 

Although the new pope is some five years younger than our current president, they both come from backgrounds in big U.S. cities: Chicago and New York. But their upbringings quickly separate the two men. Pope Leo was the product of a librarian and a school principal. Trump, on the other hand, was raised as a millionaire by a millionaire. Pope Leo’s ancestry includes Creole people of color, while Trump’s is of white European ancestry.

One man (of the cloth) has two degrees in math and theology and has dedicated his life to God. The other man (a secular businessman) holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and is a real estate developer dedicated to making money. Neither men have served in the military, one for good reason (a Catholic priest), the other for spurious health reasons (bone spurs).

Pope Leo has spent years living abroad in service of others, while Trump has spent little time abroad while having others serve him. The new pope speaks three languages, while Trump fails to be articulate in one. As far as we know, Pope Leo has never been in trouble with the law, while our president is a convicted felon. And, suffice it to say, Pope Leo is NOT a known liar, cheat, bigot or a self-enriching/absorbed individual who tends to be highly vindictive toward those who do not agree with or like him.

Thank God that we have Pope Leo as the head of the Catholic church – pray that he can help balance an otherwise out-of-balance U.S. and Christian leadership role here at home. And pray, too, that non-nationalistic Christians will see the difference and follow the pope’s example instead of the one that Trump is setting.

– Tim Thomas, Durango