Catholic Bishops and the President: What everyone is missing in the controversial photo

 

Catholic Bishops pray for President Trump WITH Paula White

This past week 12 Catholic Bishops met, so they thought, privately with President Trump to discuss issues of relevance to the Catholic Church.  That this was scheduled to happen days before a major election could have been a warning sign that all was not right, but several of the bishops have since spoken-up to say that they didn't give permission to have the photo of them praying for the President published, as indeed it was.  {Bishops lament White House meeting that produced photo with Trump, say session was "manipulated" and "exploited" - cbsnews.com}

The public apology by Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Cob {A Public Apology - Archbishop Jeffrey Grob Oct 25, 2026} has led to potentially healthy conversations about the mixing of religion and politics, a topic that I have often spoken and written about given its massive historical track record of harming the reputation of the Church and witness of the Gospel.  I could reiterate those points here, but others are doing so and I've done so before.

What caught my eye was not the apology, nor the news articles discussing whether or not it was right or fair to make the meeting public for the sake of politics, but the photo itself.  Take a close look at the photo above, it reveals something far more significant than religious leaders potentially compromising themselves with a politician: Religious leaders compromising themselves with a known heretic.  This isn't a case of a Baptist calling a Methodist a heretic, or even a Protestant calling a Catholic a heretic.  No, what we are talking about here is a full-blown, clear and repeated, denial of the Gospel by replacing it with the monstrous Prosperity Gospel in ways that exploit the poor and vulnerable and great enrich the "faith leader" in question.  The terms heretic, false teacher, and charlatan are well earned and entirely deserved here.

The woman standing over President Trump's left shoulder with her hand upon him while the Bishop prays is Paul White.  For those who don't know who Paul White is, she's been the subject of numerous non-flattering posts previously: Sermon Video: Don't Mess with God - Jude 5-11 , Paula White: Charlatan, Heretic, and White House employee - terrifying in any administration , Sermon Video: God's Word, not our word - 1 Corinthians 14:36-40 , Paula White:The Prosperity Gospel, Celebrity, and Politics - A trifecta of Gospel compromise.  Don't take my word for it, you don't need to, just watch clips of Paula White speaking, find any objective article about her beliefs and practices.

The point is very simple: IF the bishops thought it was in the best interest of the Church to meet with and pray over the President, AND if the bishops thought it was in the best interest of the Catholic Church to meet with and pray over the President, AND if the bishops thought it was in their own best interest furthering their discipleship and developing their character to meet with and pray over the President, they still should have refused, absolutely refused to pray alongside with Paul White.  It should have been a deal-breaker, a bridge way too far.

2 Peter 2:1-3 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Galatians 1:8-10 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people?

Some will decide, with good principled reasons, that the bishops should not have attended this meeting based upon the harm it could cause to the Church, the Catholic Church, or their own discipleship.  Some will decide, with good principled reasons, that the potential benefits outweigh the risks.  Let us have that conversation with wisdom and civility and with our eyes open.

What nobody who professes the true historic, catholic, and apostolic faith of Jesus' followers can say without self-compromise and falsehood, is that Paul White is a representative of the Gospel.  To be photographed alongside Paula White is to lend your own legitimacy to her.  To lend your legitimacy to Paul White is to lend it to the Prosperity Gospel.  To lend it to the Prosperity Gospel is to damage the true Gospel that saves the Lost.

These Catholic Bishops are far from alone in this folly.  Prominent Evangelical leaders have also embraced this charlatan and heretic in order to gain access to political power.  

Paula White (in white) with "faith leaders" 2/7/25

Paula White next to Pastor Jeffress (1st Baptist of Dallas)

Paula White (in red) praying alongside other "faith leaders" 

If you compromise the Gospel for the sake of political power, what good are you?  If an unapologetic charlatan teachings a false Gospel isn't too much for you, what will be?

The most damning controversy in the photo is the presence of Paula White.

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #37 Romans 12:17-21

 

Romans 12:17-21 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

On April 7, 2026, the President of the United States wrote on Truth Social, "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again." He was speaking of the 90 million people of Iran.  Much to the relief of the world, the genocide threatened by President Trump did not happen.  That it might have is yet another reason why the Church and the Gospel cannot possibly make alliance with any kingdom of this world.  This grandiose vision of death and destruction is not what we have been called to as followers of Jesus Christ.  In fact, our calling is very nearly the opposite of this: turn the other cheek.

The efforts of Pope Leo, among others, to advocate for the Christian interest in peace were loudly mocked by those in the political realm, with some proclaiming that politicians know better about what the Bible teaches about war.

The kingdoms of this world, whether in this current moment or in generations past, operate using tools and methods, even when they stop well short of the mass slaughter of genocide, that are not permissible to followers of Jesus.  Their ways are not our ways.  The kingdoms of this world make moral compromises for their own benefit, those are choices that are not permissible for followers of Jesus Christ.  Their priorities are not our priorities.  The kingdoms of this world view other nations on a spectrum from ally to enemy, a self-interested scale that often shifts {Consider America's history with our first foe England who later after another war in 1812 shifted to become our staunchest ally}.  By contrast, those who are in Christ have been called to look at humanity without these labels, to view all people as either those who are our brothers and sisters in Christ to whom we owe loving fellowship, or as those with whom we have been called to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Enemies?  Only if they choose to be, we'd rather they accept God's grace and join us in fellowship.

Are the Iranian people the enemy of Jesus Christ?  No.  Are they the enemy of Christianity?  No.  Are they the enemy of the Gospel?  No.  Our response as followers of Jesus Christ in all three cases is to do what is noble, just, and good with respect to the Iranian people.  'Christian' Nationalism stands ready to choose sides in conflicts great and small and, "root, root, root for the home team," but they are wrong, our calling is much higher and much nobler than the whims of geopolitics. 

Area pastors sign a letter responding to the blasphemous Trump-as-Jesus image.

Several local pastors have joined together to issue a statement about the 4/12/16 Trump-as-Jesus AI that was shared on the President's social media feed.

If additional pastoral leaders in Venango County wish to add their name to the letter, they should contact Pastor Powell directly (pastorpowell@hotmail.com), at which point the Google drive link will be updated to reflect that addition. 

Pastoral response to the AI image depicting Donald Trump as divine/Jesus

Trump's AI image blasphemy: A biblical response

 

The AI-generated image shared by President Trump

On April 12th, 2026, the President of the United States,  Donald Trump, posted a blasphemous image of himself. 

This image portrayed Donald Trump as a divine healer using the well-known artistic iconography (white/red robe, divine power in his hands akin to stigmata) associated with Jesus Christ, and the reception of worship/prayer from the people looking up at him adoringly

A typical artistic portrayal of Jesus

 

In addition to the dangerous and unbiblical promotion of Christian nationalism and glorification of militarism that the image also contains, this action by President Trump violates a fundamental and unshakeable belief of every true follower of Jesus Christ:

There is only one God.

This belief leads inevitably to its corollary: God alone is worthy of worship

If anyone claims, then, divine status, or accepts worship, it is blasphemy.  It is also a grave heresy that marks one who makes such a claim as a false teacher. Whatever the motivation and intent was behind this creation and sharing of this image, the result was blasphemy and heresy.  In addition, any who would lead others away from devotion to our true Lord and Savior are, by definition, an anti-Christ.

Scripture, as well as history, offers dire warnings in this area, ones that should never be ignored.

The following is but a brief summary of what the Word of God teaches about the danger inherent in false worship and false teaching, and the judgment of God it invokes.

The Biblical warning against blasphemy and false worship:

Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

Exodus 34:14 Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Jonah 2:8 

“Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.

Habakkuk 2:18

“Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman?

Or an image that teaches lies?

For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.

John 10:32-33 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” 33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

Romans 1:25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

The warnings in the Biblical narrative against blasphemy and false worship:

Daniel 3: King Nebuchadnezzar glorifies himself with a golden image, requiring all to bow down and worship.  God protects Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the fiery furnace when they refuse.

1 Kings 18: Elijah and the prophets of Baal.

Elijah’s epic contest to see which God is real and which god is not.  God sends fire from heaven to affirm his power, Baal can do nothing for his false prophets.

Acts 12:19b-23 Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. 20 He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.

21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22 They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” 23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

Revelation 19:19-21 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Historical examples beyond sacred scripture:

In 167 BC, Seleucid King Antiochus IV Epiphanes desecrated the Jewish Temple in 

Jerusalem by sacrificing a pig on the altar to Zeus. This act of sacrilege, considered a major abomination, was part of his efforts to eradicate Jewish religious practices. It prompted the Maccabean revolt.

In the Early Church, both Jews and followers of Jesus (both Jewish and Gentile) were persecuted, and many martyred, for refusing to worship an image of various Roman Emperors who were considered divine.

The problem of human pride:

Proverbs 16:5

The Lord detests all the proud of heart.

Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

James 4:6

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

1 John 2:16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.

Conclusion: A fellow Christian, and a friend, described Donald Trump’s ai-generated image as, “One of the grossest images I’ve ever seen.”  On this I concur.  

When the most powerful man in the world elevates himself with divine imagery, the only biblical response is to condemn this action with no reservation.  It is blasphemy, it is heresy, and it is the spirit of antichrist.

We have one Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, there is no other.

When the most powerful man in the world elevates himself with divine imagery, the only biblical response is to