What Long Island Catholics think of Trump's attack on Pope Leo XIV

President Donald Trump’s attack on Pope Leo XIV unleashed a barrage of criticism among Long Island Catholics on Monday, including some Republicans who otherwise support the president but found his comments offensive.

They said they disliked Trump saying Leo is "weak on crime," caters to "the radical left" and became pope in the first place partly because of Trump. They were especially offended by Trump comparing himself to Jesus Christ in an apparently AI-generated image.

The image disappeared from Trump's social media on Monday after backlash. Trump later said it was meant to show him working as a doctor for the Red Cross healing people.

"The president really crossed the line when he disrespected the Holy Father and that should not be acceptable to any God-fearing person," said the Rev. Francis Pizzarelli, a Roman Catholic priest and founder of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson.

"It’s just another thing where the president thinks he can really go after someone with an ad hominem attack if they don’t agree with him," Pizzarelli added. "I don’t understand why our political leaders have not called him to task with cleaning up his language and to stop demeaning people. He’s the president of the United States. ... At least treat people respectfully."

The backlash on Long Island, home to 1.2 million baptized Catholics, came after a poll showed Trump's standing slipping among Catholics nationwide amid the war in Iran, rising gasoline prices and a controversial immigration crackdown — all taking place in a midterm congressional election year.

Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville), who said he is Catholic and sends his children to Catholic school, wrote on X, "While the President is right to be firm with Iran and resolute against our adversaries, attacking the Holy Father crosses a line."

"I hope the President continues to hold the ayatollah and clerics accountable, but lays off the Pope, whose calling is to pursue peace every day," LaLota added.

Frank Maresca, a Catholic from Massapequa, said he voted for Trump and strongly supports the president, but could not condone his comments about the pope.

"Trump likes to get into these tit-for-tat types of things, and I think people who voted for him don’t like that," Maresca said. "There are certain things you just shouldn’t do."

Trump's posting of the image of himself as a Jesus-like figure was disturbing, Maresca said. 

"He shouldn’t have done that. He’s not Jesus, and no one should ever do that," Maresca said. "You can’t replace Jesus. There’s only one."

Others said they hoped for peace amid the extraordinary exchange between the president and the first American pontiff.

Stepping out of a 9:15 a.m. Mass at St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church in Patchogue on Monday, parishioner Patricia Costello said she hoped the tensions would settle down.

"I’m just praying for all of them, that all their actions are inspired by the Holy Spirit," she said.

Several other parishioners leaving Mass did not want to speak about the issue at all.

Former U.S. Rep. Peter King, a Catholic Republican from Seaford, told Newsday  "Trump has his own style ... The pope is a tough guy from Illinois. He can handle it, too."

"I may have said it differently," King added. "But as a Catholic, I don't take it personally. That's the way Trump is. He’s said worse things about me, and others."

When asked if Trump was concerned his comments could alienate conservative Catholics, the White House on Monday referred to the president's comments, which included: "There's nothing to apologize for."

Flying aboard the papal airplane from Rome to Algiers on Monday for the start of an 11-day trip to Africa, Leo told journalists he was not afraid of the Trump administration after the president lashed out at him.

"I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do," Leo said.

When asked directly about Trump’s comments on Truth Social, the pontiff said: "It’s ironic — the name of the site itself. Say no more."

Trump, commenting Sunday night in a lengthy post on the social media platform he founded, suggested Leo got his position only "because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump."

"If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican," Trump wrote, adding, "Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church!"

In subsequent comments to reporters, Trump said of Leo: "I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. He likes crime I guess," adding, "He’s a very liberal person."

Richard Koubek, a former public policy advocate at Catholic Charities on Long Island, said: "President Trump, who revels in the support of Christian nationalists, thinks Pope Leo is ‘too liberal.' That is quite ironic since Leo is simply proclaiming ancient Christian values that emphasize peace, care for the poor and marginalized. ... Does he think the Gospels are too liberal?"

Pizzarelli said the pope's comments opposing the U.S. attacks on Iran were in keeping with Catholic teachings. 

"As Catholic Christians we have always been against war," he said.

Mike Ferrara, a Catholic from Coram who voted for Trump, said he did not disagree with some of the comments Trump made about the pope, but the way he said it was unacceptable.

"I’m a Trump supporter. I like Trump. But the way he talks about the pope, I’m not really thrilled about that," Ferrara said. "The pope is the leader of our church. As a Catholic, I don’t want to see the pope get attacked."

As for the apparent AI image, he said: "You don’t emulate Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is Jesus Christ."

Bishop John O. Barres, head of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, said in a statement he and the diocese "join Pope Leo XIV in calling for peace, especially in the Middle East and in places where Christians are persecuted for their faith. We pray for and support our Holy Father in the mission of Christ's mercy and the proclamation of the Gospel — Blessed are the peacemakers."

Rick Hinshaw, the former longtime editor of the diocesan newspaper, The Long Island Catholic, said: "Unfortunately, President Trump seems incapable of respectful disagreement. Any criticism directed at him is met with the verbal equivalent of a scorched earth response, complete with personal insults and bombast. And so it is again in his response to the pope."

Shortly after posting his comments, Trump shared a picture suggesting he had saintlike powers akin to those of Jesus Christ. Wearing a biblical-style robe, Trump is seen laying hands on a bedridden man as light emanates from his fingers, while a soldier, a nurse, a praying woman and a bearded man in a baseball cap all look on admiringly. The sky above is filled with eagles, an American flag and vaporous images.

"I did post it," Trump said on Monday. But he said it had to do with the Red Cross.

"It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better," Trump said.

Trump won the Catholic vote in the 2024 presidential election by a 12-percentage-point margin over Kamala Harris, 55% to 43%. But he now has an approval rating of 48% among Catholics, according to a poll conducted jointly between March 20 and 23 by Republican pollster Shaw & Co. Research and Democratic pollster Beacon Research.

On his plane Monday, Leo tried to downplay the conflict with Trump.

"The things I say are not meant as attacks on anyone," Leo told reporters.

"I do not look at my role as being political, a politician," the pontiff said. "I don’t want to get into a debate with him. I don’t think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing."

Tensions between the two leaders have been building in recent weeks as the United States continued its military attacks on Iran, which the pope has criticized.

Trump's comments came after Leo suggested over the weekend that a "delusion of omnipotence" is fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran. While it’s not unusual for popes and presidents to be at cross purposes, it’s exceedingly rare for the pope to directly criticize a U.S. leader — and Trump’s stinging response is equally uncommon, if not more so.

Newsday's Matthew Chayes and The Associated Press contributed to this story.