Pope Donald I

Apparently, as a Catholic, I am supposed to be offended by Donald Trump’s retweet of an image of himself as Pope. Cardinal Dolan, the Vatican, and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops have all objected. A left-wing friend was eager to hear my condemnation, expecting this would be the final straw to turn me against Trump.

Nope. I find it only mildly amusing.

Something I have always admired in Buddhism, and in Judaism, and wished I saw more of in Catholicism, is a sense of humour and a tendency to joke about religious matters. I love St. Theresa of Avila, because she did joke. For God is in laughter. Laughter is a proper response to revelation. 

It is easy to make an idol out of the Pope. He is our father, in the spiritual sense, and it is no more proper to idolize him than it is to idolize our biological father. “Call no man father but your father who is in heaven.” He is a man, not God, and may be as flawed as the next man. We owe him respect, for his office, but not reverence. That is for God.

Trump’s meme is apt, and funny, because it reveals this deep truth. 

Which is akin to this Buddhist truth: “If you see the Buddha in the road, kill him.”

Which, I hasten to dd for those who lack all sense of humour, is not to advocating killing the pope, or anyone else in any literal sense.