By John Mercer and Steve Cortes

With Pope Francis now buried, the universal Church moves from mourning to expectation and excitement, awaiting a new pope. As Catholics, we find assurance in the promises that this process flows from the Holy Spirit. As Americans, this transition prods us to think anew about the respective roles of America and the Church in the world.

Often, the missions of the United States and the Church align wonderfully. For example, during the Cold War, President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II formed a unique alliance to restrain—and then transcend—the evil oppression of global communism.

The United States and the Vatican each play a singularly crucial role in the modern world. In President Trump’s words, the United States represents “the culmination of Western Civilization.” The Catholic Church stands, in many ways, as both the inventor and protector of that same civilization, which has flowed inexorably from the font of the Christian faith for two millennia.

As such, these two mighty institutions are conjoined by history and are inheritors of respective greatness in both the national and spiritual realms. As the Gospels teach Christians, “to whom much is given, much is required.”

This responsibility for America intensifies as the former Christian powers of the Old World increasingly flee from their histories and cultures. As those nation-states devolve into multicultural secular societies, the onus grows upon America to carry forth the flame of Western values. Those same values have been taught and preserved immutably by the Catholic Church for centuries.

So, perhaps it is fitting that this new era in the Church begins just as a very new political reality unfolds in America. Populist nationalism rises to ascendance across our land and the whole world. Citizens of many nations now revolt against an often inhumane secularist globalism that denies the spiritual worth of every person. From Biloxi to Bombay, citizens demand to be treated as partners in a national family, rather than economic cogs to be managed and abused by international corporatist elites.

In the United States, this movement translates into an America First movement focusing on populist economics and cultural conservatism. The masses yearn for secure borders, pro-family policies, and free market opportunities for Main Street guarded by sensible populist economic protections.

In this regard, America becomes the lead wave in a global battle that involves information warfare, economic warfare, and great power showdowns that, for now, employ non-kinetic means of confrontation. More than any other institution, the Catholic Church should embrace America’s unique role and give spiritual validation to the U.S. resistance to opposing totalitarian regimes that crush faith and other forms of free expression.

As the late Pope Benedict remarked on the White House lawn: “From the dawn of the Republic, America’s quest for freedom has been guided by the conviction that the principles governing political and social life are intimately linked to a moral order based on the dominion of God the Creator.”

Specifically, the Church can fulfill its eternal mission most effectively by recognizing the fundamental ethos of most multilateral organizations that wield great power and influence. Almost without exception, these corrupted confederations work against the dignity of man, and particularly in contravention of Catholic values. Clearly, these institutions provide leverage for the secular humanist agenda and for the self-aggrandizement of the credentialed elites who cling to them as rent-seeking power brokers. But that toxic and anti-Christian power base can only be repelled by the mighty populist surge of enlightened nationalism…especially from the United States!

Of course, not all of these battles evolve as geopolitical contests. Instead, many center on the very essence of what creates lasting treasure for individuals and communities. While the prosperity of a market economy remains a lofty and worthy goal, any such bounty loses significance if families fray and children are indoctrinated with cruel myths, such as changeable sexes. On these paramount cultural issues, too, the Church and the populist movement in America find common ground and must stand as allies.

Given these realities, it is no wonder that President Trump earned overwhelming support from American Catholics. Catholic citizens were the determinative factor in Trump’s historic 2024 win, providing a huge +11% margin of victory nationwide. Catholics played an especially crucial role in the contested northern swing states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Looking nationally, Trump’s popular vote triumph relied upon his widespread support among the Catholic faithful.

So, Catholics the world over await news of the next pope. Simultaneously, President Trump and his Catholic Vice-President, J.D. Vance, begin their term in office with high expectations for material change in America. Both institutions confront a world that grows increasingly hostile to Christian and American values. But with clear-eyed leadership, fearlessness, and prayer, America and Rome can lead humanity to a better place. The result would be a more just, peaceful, and prosperous world, a taste of eternal heaven here on earth.

Josh Mercer is Vice-President of CatholicVote.

Steve Cortes is president of the League of American Workers and senior political advisor to CatholicVote. He is a former senior advisor to President Trump and JD Vance, plus a former commentator for Fox News and CNN.

Original article links: Cortes Investigates The Washington Times

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