The Irony Board: The Pope and The Candidate

Today's headlines are eye-caching for sure, aren't they?

We've got that rascally pontiff, Pope Francis, saying that if Donald Trump really said what it's reported he's said about immigrants and having Mexico build a wall and all that, then he's "not a Christian" because people who only look to build walls instead of building bridges are not acting in the true spirit of Christ.  The pontiff also noted that he would give Trump the benefit of the doubt, in case he didn't really say all of those harsh, hateful things.

Trump responded that it was disgraceful for a religious leader to question another person's faith, which is kind of bizarre because I think religious leaders more than anyone have that right and responsibility, to challenge people to be more faithful and their behaviors to be more in keeping with a faith-based life, right?

The other part of Trump's response is by far more fascinating:

If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which as everyone knows is ISIS' ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president because this would not have happened.

Do you see what I see?

If Trump gets elected, which he's been telling us is going to happen, he would crush ISIS, destroy ISIS, kill the Muslims and their families, and on and on and on.  But now, in his Franciscan retort, seems either he's not elected, (the pope would have only wished and prayed for such a thing) or Trump can't defeat ISIS, because they're going to attack the Vatican...

People have been talking about the irony of a man who lives in a walled city questioning someone else looking to build a wall; I don't see the irony there at all. The Vatican City (officially the Vatican City State) is a country within a city within a country, The walls are not new; they were built in the 1500s and 1600s (parts predate that by several hundred years).

This, in contrast to the Trump Wall (large enough to support the giant block golden Trump name), which will be bright and sparkly new, designed to isolate the one country that has, for most of its existence, been considered a shining star of freedom, a beacon of hope and democracy, a place like none other in history - America, the land of the free and home of the brave - from her southern neighbor.

The Trump Wall, to be built by the administration of The Man Who Wants To Make America Great Again, is but one irony here.

It's also ironic that the party of no, the party of go help yourself, the party of trickle down, the party of rape defenders, the party of eliminating healthcare, the party of companies are people too, the party of hate towards anyone they deem not Christian enough, is upset by someone challenging them and their standard-bearer's faith

The party that invites a leader of another country, a walled country at that - to come here, to blast our President, to slam our principles and our policies, and walk away with billions in aid - that same party is upset about a foreign leader calling out their bad behavior?

That it's Trump - the thrice married, daughter-ogling, violence-exhorting, loudmouthed, race-baiting, everyone-baiting candidate, the man lied about which church he belongs to - questioning the pontiff, calling his comments 'disgraceful', calling him a pawn?

Ah, the irony.