Christopher Kerr

husband, father, runner, ED at Ignatian Solidarity Network (@IGsolidarityNET), x2 grad of @JohnCarrollU, part-time dishwasher unloader | Tweets = my own views

[Christopher Kerr @Chris___Kerr]

Our #SJES50years delegation with @Pontifex — such a powerful experience which was so affirming of #Jesuit social ministry throughout the world, including the work my colleagues and I do at @IGsolidarityNET!

@JesuitsUCS @jesuitswest @MidwestJesuits @JesuitsEast

[Christopher Kerr @Chris___Kerr]

Such bombing would undoubtedly cause great human suffering for unknown numbers of people. There are other ways to accomplish diplomatic goals that don’t require innocent people to live in fear. Truly effective negotiators do not have to make threats like these.

[The Hill @thehill]

Live updates: Trump warns Iran to agree to deal or face ‘higher level’ of bombing
https://t.co/9XZdYRQ6Kb

[U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops @USCCB]

The Catechism of the Catholic Church on Just War Doctrine.

[James Martin, SJ @JamesMartinSJ]

Yes, he really said that.

Yesterday Vice President JD Vance criticized Pope Leo XIV for not knowing enough theology: "I think it's very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology ... If you’re going to opine on matters of theology, you’ve got to be careful, you’ve got to make sure it’s anchored in the truth," he said, at a Turning Point conference.

One of the many, many, ironies about that statement is that it came in response to Pope Leo's comments about war and peace and, specifically, the concept of "just war," which originated with St. Augustine. As many have already noted, when the Vice President was making his comments, Pope Leo XIV, a member of the Augustinian Order, and twice Prior General of the Augustinians before his election as Pope, was visiting the hometown of St. Augustine, then called "Hippo," now in Annaba, a town in modern-day Algeria. For good measure, Pope Leo XIV, the man critiqued for insufficient theological education, earned not only a master's degree in divinity, but also licentiate and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.

JD Vance's recent conversion to Catholicism is beside the point, because many converts are of course not only highly intelligent (and learned in theology) but faithful and energetic Catholics. We rejoice over everyone entering the church.

What most of us do not rejoice over, however, is a deadly combination of inaccuracy and hubris. Pace, Vice President Vance, but the current war in Iran is not a just war under Catholic doctrine. You can hear that from church leaders from across the theological spectrum, from Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the head of the military vicariate and former head of the @USCCB, to Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington who holds doctorates in both theology and political science. You can look all that up online. Suffice to say, the Vice President doesn't seem to understand the tenets of just war.

Nor does he seem to understand the fundamental position of the church, which is for peace. "War is always a defeat for humanity," as St. John Paul II said. If that authority isn't enough, then turn to Jesus who said, "Blessed are the peacemakers," not "Blessed are the warmongers." And after the Resurrection, the Risen Christ says to the frightened disciples not "Vengeance is mine" but "Peace be with you."

Incidentally, the day before, the Vice President said that the Pope (and the Vatican) should stick to teaching about morality, also seeming to forget that war and peace are profoundly moral issues.

For his part, Pope Leo was focused yesterday on his spiritual father, St. Augustine. After what seemed like an emotional visit to Hippo, he celebrated Mass at the Basilica of St. Augustine in Annaba. During his homily he said, "The primary task of pastors as ministers of the Gospel is therefore to bear witness to God before the world with one heart and one soul, not permitting our concerns to lead us astray through fear, nor trends to undermine us through compromise."

Amen. Let's all continue to pray for the Holy Father as he works for peace.

(Image: Pope Leo XIV prays at the archeological ruins of Hippo, home of St. Augustine, in current-day Algeria. CNS photo).

[James Martin, SJ @JamesMartinSJ]

Dear friends: I don’t know any Catholic in the United States, from the most traditional to the most progressive, who does not have strong feelings about the comments from President Trump and Vice President Vance about Pope Leo XIV. These include not only President Trump’s initial disrespectful Truth Social post about the Holy Father, but also Vice President Vance’s similarly disrespectful comments about Pope Leo having to be “careful” when he speaks about theology.

Let me share some of my own feelings. First of all, it is shocking that a President and Vice President would treat such a good, holy and learned man with such disdain. Imagine telling a man with the Holy Father’s learning and experience (and authority) that he doesn’t understand theology sufficiently. What’s more, imagine attacking him as, ridiculously, “weak on crime” or somehow not understanding foreign policy.

Second, I’m edified by Pope Leo’s charitable and courageous response to all this. Charitable because he has not responded in any way other than with charity and respect. As some of you may know, I know the Holy Father slightly, thanks to our being seated together at the Synod for two weeks, and know him to be a kind, reserved, discerning and highly intelligent person. In a word, holy.

But courageous too: as we have seen during his time in Algeria and Cameroon, Pope Leo has not shied away from continuing to preach the Gospel, and speaking out in favor of peace (and yes, he understands St. Augustine’s concept of the “just war”) and against, as he said today, tyrants and those who would use God’s name to support violence of bloodshed.

So, where will this all end? It’s hard to say. But I would imagine that now that the taboo has been broken, politicians will continue to denigrate him and thus try to persuade people, without saying it explicitly, to think that the Pope’s words do not need to be listened to.

But this will be in vain for two reasons. First, Pope Leo is clearly fearless. A few hours after he was elected as pope, I spoke with a fellow Augustinian priest who had known “Bob” for decades. “He’s a great listener, very kind and much loved.” Then he paused. “But he’s no pushover.” But the main reason that the Pope’s words will be heard is less about Robert Prevost’s own many virtues but something else: the Vicar of Christ will be heard because he is preaching the Gospel. As Jesus told his disciples, “Heaven and earth may pass away, but my words will never pass away.” So, in these strange times, fear not.

[Christopher Kerr @Chris___Kerr]

@bruce74255589 @fox8news @bruce74255589, providing humanitarian assistance to people is a legal act.

[Christopher Kerr @Chris___Kerr]

@IrvingVasq55444 @fox8news This image is AI and not based in fact. Popes meet with thousands of visitors each year without regard for national political party affiliation. Pope Leo XIV has met with republicans and democrats. He has no party affiliation nor does the Catholic Church.

[Christopher Kerr @Chris___Kerr]

@MTstateguard @fox8news The second portion of your statement is untrue. Pope Leo XIV and Pope Francis have both visited the African continent and spoken publicly about the human rights abuses taking place in Nigeria as well as other African countries. DM me and I am happy to provide examples.

[Christopher Kerr @Chris___Kerr]

@MTstateguard @fox8news Popes meet with thousands of guests each year—including people affiliated with both major U.S. political parties. He meets with them as a pastor and leader of a faith community, not as a political pundit.

[Christopher Kerr @Chris___Kerr]

@Rich76488928 @fox8news In Catholic tradition, the Pope is considered the direct successor to Saint Peter and responsible for being the Church's witness of Christ on Earth. Pope Leo XIV's recent messages, while uncomfortable for some to hear, are rooted in Sacred Scripture.

[Christopher Kerr @Chris___Kerr]

@bruce74255589 @fox8news The Catholic Church, following the example of Jesus in the Gospels, accompanies people across the global regardless of their immigration documentation. Compassion is a Christian act, not a political act.

[Christopher Kerr @Chris___Kerr]

@JDSprockets @fox8news Your statement is not grounded in fact. Popes Leo XIV and Francis have both visited the African continent and spoken on human rights issues of Christians and others. Please DM me, I am glad to provide you concrete documented examples.

[Christopher Kerr @Chris___Kerr]

@samanthak33 @KosichJohn @samanthak33 - Your statement is not grounded in fact.

Pope's have been addressing issues of human rights for centuries. In the age of digital media Popes John Paul II, Benedict, Francis, and Leo XIV have been very public outspoken advocates for peace and human rights.

[60 Minutes @60Minutes]

For the first time, three of America's most influential cardinals and archbishops agreed to a joint interview, sharing their candid take on war in Iran, immigration, and the future of the Catholic Church. Sunday on 60 Minutes. https://t.co/mEN4CWeXMW

[Adam Isacson @adam_wola]

Border Patrol apprehensions of migrants jumped 25% at the US-Mexico border from February to March.

It's a spring seasonal increase, typical when there are few asylum seekers (who would seek to turn themselves in to US authorities regardless of weather).

https://t.co/vv7rNGDyRz

[The Washington Post @washingtonpost]

Some Trump aides and supporters cloak the war on Iran in religious terms, but Pope Leo challenges their portrayal of a warlike God saying God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.” https://t.co/OIh7Q8xWA8

[El Paso Matters @elpasomatters]

El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz called mass detention and deportation a “grave moral evil” in a Lenten pastoral letter, urging Catholics in immigration enforcement to follow the Gospel over immoral orders, and expressing solidarity with migrants.
https://t.co/yR8bc4SPau

[Christopher Kerr @Chris___Kerr]

“It scares me for our society that you can be scrolling through social media looking at dog photos and suddenly you’re seeing someone blown up.” https://t.co/l1OXubcGKi

[Ignatian Solidarity @IGsolidarityNET]

As violence escalates following the U.S. attack on Iran, we hold fast to the Church’s call to peace.

[Ignatian Solidarity @IGsolidarityNET]

As violence escalates and lives are lost, many of us feel grief, fear, and helplessness. At such moments, our Catholic faith does not look away from suffering — it invites us to remain rooted in a deeper peace.

[Christopher Kerr @Chris___Kerr]

Hindering commerce and travel seems like a poor strategy for a president who campaigned on the economy. https://t.co/hWpjAjlG9C