With its ruthless backstabbing, unscrupulous characters and long-suffering flock, there is much overlap between the politics of the Church of England and those of the United Status. But, as Donald Trump continues to infuriate Catholics by brawling with the Pope, it seems that the onetime primate of the CofE is determined to get in on the action now too.
In an interview today with The Spectator’s Edition podcast, Rowan Williams turns his beady eye on events happening stateside. The former Archbishop of Canterbury believes that ‘there is something demonic in the political culture of the United States’. Though Mr S might suggest that the Americans don’t have an exclusive monopoly on that particular political feature…
Williams made the remark while discussing J.D. Vance’s comments that the Pope should ‘stick to morality’. The former crossbench peer admitted that, with ‘just a hint of schadenfreude’, he feels ‘slightly sorry’ for the US Vice President – and recent Catholic convert – saying he appears to be ‘floundering’ in his arguments. ‘People who look to the Catholic Church for a strong lead on issues of morality tend to mean one kind of morality only’, Williams said.
He continued, ‘to say that the Pope should stick to issues of morality; as you say the question of the just war is not exactly something that was thought up a couple of weeks ago by Guardian editorialists. Yes, it is something which has quite deep roots. And yes, the Pope has read Saint Augustine.’
Asked more generally about the Maga right’s obsession with the Antichrist, he argued that people always associate those they don’t like with the Antichrist, criticising those now being given ‘permission’ to articulate ‘views which are completely antithetical to the gospel rhetoric about the violent obliteration of enemies’. He concluded ‘yes, that strikes me as diabolical’.
Over to President Trump’s Truth Social for more comment.
The full episode of the Edition is out now:
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