Popes like this one are the reason there
are Protestants
American Thinker,
by
John Conlin
Original Article
Posted By: Hazymac,
4/20/2026 10:09:16 AM
By almost any analysis, Christianity is the superior religion. Of all, Christianity reigns supreme. Christianity has positively transformed the entire world. Even now, ill-informed leftists don’t realize most of their thoughts on the dignity of the human and individual freedom -- and hundreds more -- are due to Christianity.
Thomas Jefferson noted, “Had the doctrines of Jesus been preached always as pure as they came from his lips, the whole civilized world would now have been Christians.”
And if one is going to become a Christian it would seem that His Church, the Catholic Church, should be the choice. The other denominations were
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The Chicago Way infects the Vatican.
27 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
farmwife 4/20/2026 10:20:10 AM (No. 2094926)
It's the left's playbook. Divide and conquer. If they are successful in moving the Catholic vote, they will no further use for this , or any other, pope.
19 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
stablemoney 4/20/2026 10:38:17 AM (No. 2094933)
They picked the Obama Chicago pope for a reason. He is a communist, which they disguise with the "community" euphemism. Obama is a "community" organizer.
34 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
hurricanegirl 4/20/2026 10:53:12 AM (No. 2094938)
Excuse me? "His" Church is ANYONE--no matter what denomination or no denomination at all--who calls upon the name of the Lord to be saved!
The church is not an organization or a denomination. Instead, it is the body of Christ made up of the "whosoever will"--those who believe that Jesus is who He claimed to be: Emmanuel, "God with us" who came to Earth to die and save us from the fatal disease of sin.
38 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
LC Chihuahua 4/20/2026 11:05:02 AM (No. 2094946)
Commies like religion when it is state run. They can use it to control the populace. This has all the earmarks of a schism and is how new religions/churches are formed. Not only are the Commies trying to influence Christianity, they are trying to influence Islam too.
16 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
DVC 4/20/2026 11:29:23 AM (No. 2094966)
Well, the headline has the story.
14 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
Italiano 4/20/2026 11:53:03 AM (No. 2094990)
I'm one of them. Catholic schools from first grade through college. I bailed in the 80's, way before this clown. It didn't start with him.
21 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
Ruhn 4/20/2026 12:06:46 PM (No. 2094999)
The author is opening a denominational can of worms on this one.
13 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
philsner 4/20/2026 12:14:23 PM (No. 2095007)
Well, I disagree. The protestant reformation was about differences in belief, not the Pope. And if you are a Catholic who becomes a protestant because you don't like the pope, well, you don't understand what it means to be a Christian, much less a Catholic
19 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
Maggie2u 4/20/2026 12:27:44 PM (No. 2095014)
I was raised Catholic, 1st thru 8th grade. Married in the Church,(husband isn't Catholic) all my children were baptized, and our three oldest went to Catholic school. Our two youngest went to public schools. But, if you look at history, starting with the United States, it was White, Anglo-Saxon Protestants that should be credited with modern civilization. Really, not a single Catholic country is a first world country. Not Mexico, any in South America, Spain, France maybe but barely. All have one thing in common, Catholicism. And I'm not insinuating that Protestant countries are perfect but they're a lot better off than the Catholic ones. Convince me I'm wrong.
35 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
Maggie2u 4/20/2026 12:30:00 PM (No. 2095015)
I should have added that I'm talking about before the European countries and Britain collectively lost their minds and let the muslims invade them. Now it's all bets are off.
18 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
philsner 4/20/2026 12:37:54 PM (No. 2095020)
Scribbler failure and contradictions, Consider this paragraph from his article:
"I’m not a member of the Catholic Church so my thoughts have no meaning for them, but Popes like this -- and the one before him -- are the reason there are Protestants and why so many have simply abandoned their faith."
He is not a Catholic. I doubt he is a Christian; he didn't say. But what he does say is contradictory. He says "his thoughts" have no meaning for Catholics. With that I agree. But he goes on the say that "his thoughts" are why Catholics quit the faith. You can't have it both ways. And I still maintain that being a Christian is much more than one aspect - the pope - and more about Jesus Christ, his teachings and instruction, along with his Resurrection and his institution of the Eucharist.
There have been popes - who are merely sinners like the rest of us - much worse than the present one. People who leave the church because of the pope were simply waiting on a plausible excuse or they are pretend Catholic Christians.
I get irritated when ignorance passes for knowledge. Stay in your lane, Mr. Conlin. Find yourself a good entertainment church and leave your incorrect analysis at home.
9 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
kono 4/20/2026 1:09:22 PM (No. 2095030)
Apologies to #4; but God's RELIGION is all the faithful; the CHURCH is the organization leading the faithful at a given time. No such thing as a church of one, nor a People's Church (where all the faithful supposedly have equal authority, ala a People's Republic).
9 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
earlybird 4/20/2026 1:22:26 PM (No. 2095039)
We don't need men between us and God. Our prayets of gratitude and for forgiveness are sent diretly to Him.
18 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
privateer 4/20/2026 1:39:58 PM (No. 2095044)
The Chicago Pontiff---Al Capope
11 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
Venturer 4/20/2026 2:12:59 PM (No. 2095051)
The headline says Pope's like this are the reasons there are protestants, well that isn't totally wrong.
All of the protestant Church's are offshoots of Christian and/or Catholic doctrine and started by people who disagreed with a Pope.
This one is harming his Church. When he does not attack Islam for what it is: A religion founded by a pedophile.;
Islam is much like scientology which was started by a bet and believes in a Spaceman.
7 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
JackBurton 4/20/2026 2:31:15 PM (No. 2095055)
I'm Catholic and will stay that way. This pope may not be helpful but the Church won't let him venture into error. And politics? Not his job and a shame that he gets quoted on that.
Let me say that the pope was totally silent when 8 international conflicts were ended with the help of Trump. Not a single "Blessed are the peacemakers." Not a one.
18 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
zephyrgirl 4/20/2026 3:24:52 PM (No. 2095066)
I dated several Catholic men in my younger years, and concluded that having been brought up Presbyterian, Catholicism was just too different for me. I don't have anything against it, and have attended many masses over the years. However, a Catholic church will never feel like "home" the way a Presbyterian church does.
5 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
danu 4/20/2026 4:15:41 PM (No. 2095075)
after exiling the true pope--benedict XVI, 2 heretical 'popes'-- marxista I, and the ghastly marxista II--
also were installed [illegitimately] by the ccp=like plumbing fixtures.
in africa, the usa, and china, the true RC churches, and devout sufferers therefor, are driven underground
to endure gov't - sponsored persecutions, imprisonment in hellish unhealthy solitary confinements,
assaults, rapes, spying at tridentine masses, lack of counsel... and lots of assassinations.
indeed, the biggest cowards massacred the elderly and tiny wee children praying at mass in the
cathedral.
they usen't to say, 'when they come for us, pray there be catholics left standing to protest our fake trials and
unjust executions by the infidels?'
5 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
Digger 4/20/2026 5:19:58 PM (No. 2095093)
Agreed, #12, but more than staying in his lane, Mr. Conlin is not even on the right road. The article is full of bad theology and completely ignores church history. Who is Mr. Conlin to award the “His Church” title to the RCC, ignoring, for instance, the Eastern Orthodox Church, or for that matter, the Anglican Church. As a matter of no small importance, the historic root of those churches was a MAN named Paul, or for our RCC brothers, a guy named Peter. Paul’s churches operated under Bishops who later gave the top administrative job to the Bishop of Rome and called him Pope.
0 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
mc squared 4/20/2026 5:22:50 PM (No. 2095094)
I'm surprised at the posts which would condemn criticism of the current pope. Sounds strangely like a cult.. Maybe an Islamic one. Faith is a private thing not to be delegated to a man in a fenced in shelter.
2 people like this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
philsner 4/20/2026 5:38:54 PM (No. 2095096)
So #21, I take it you are not a Catholic. Are you a Christian?
I don't see any posts here condemning criticism of the pope. I think he is completely wrong. All I am saying is that the basis of Christian faith is God and Jesus Christ. Jesus gave the keys to the Church to Peter who was the first Pope. He said: "On this rock (Peter), I will build my church." Remember, Peter denied Jesus three times. So papal error isn't surprising.
8 people like this.
Reply 23 - Posted by:
danu 4/20/2026 6:29:40 PM (No. 2095119)
preach it, 22.
3 people like this.
Reply 24 - Posted by:
crashnburn 4/20/2026 6:29:54 PM (No. 2095120)
All true, #22. After His Resurrection, Peter confessed his sin 3 times to Jesus. I’m not holding my breath waiting for “Pope” Leo to confess the error of his ways.
5 people like this.
Reply 25 - Posted by:
FormerDem 4/20/2026 7:29:37 PM (No. 2095142)
Pope Leo is a very good Pope although wrong in his fight with Trump. we have had bad Popes, truly bad ones, and I wonder how many of those denouncing Pope Leo would have like the original Apostles. The Church is for rescuing sinners and if that is what you are come join us. At the grass level we are sinners, at the mid level we are sinners, at the highest level still sinners. If you are looking for the hospital for your sins that horrify you, come on in!
1 person likes this.
Reply 26 - Posted by:
mc squared 4/20/2026 7:39:18 PM (No. 2095145)
#22, 23, 24: 12 years of Catholic school here. I'm still a Christian but don't like what mere men have done to Catholicism.
9 people like this.
Reply 27 - Posted by:
lakerman1 4/21/2026 5:51:16 AM (No. 2095228)
I was a Catholic for the first 45 years of my life, sent my sons to Catholic school, attended Mass regularly.
But during the 1970s, I watched a homosexual cabal emerge in the Catholic faith. Toung Young priests who were painfully effeminate came intyto diocese, and everyone tried to ignore the obvious.
(At least two former seminarians confirmed what I am notinh.)
Those young priests, over time, assumed leadership in the Chyrch.
That one form of mortal sin can not be set aside, excused, or tolerate.
2 people like this.
Reply 28 - Posted by:
5 handicap 4/21/2026 6:41:06 AM (No. 2095237)
The headline should read: Popes like this one are the reason there are Protestants and waaay fewer Catholics!
What a complete and utter ass Leo has turned out to be!
2 people like this.
Reply 29 - Posted by:
bighambone 4/21/2026 10:32:31 AM (No. 2095346)
My mother was a legal immigrant who attended mass at Catholic Churches for her entire life. She attended mass each Sunday at her last Catholic Church for at least twenty years before she died. When my brother and I went to see the that Catholic Church Pastor to plan her funeral, the Pastor said that he did not know who our Mother was? A few days later at her funeral, the Church was almost full of people, no doubt many who were immigrants like our Mother. That should tell you something about the way many Catholic Churches operate at the local level. I left that city early in life to join the military and never returned to reside there. Recently I was visiting back there and found that Church is no longer a Catholic Church but is now a Protestant Church?
1 person likes this.
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