Welcome to this episode of the award-winning Best of the Left podcast. Today we explored the

extraordinary clash between Pope Leo XIV and the Trump White House, a feud involving

military threats, medieval people history, and an American-born Pope who refuses to back down.

We'll hear why analysts say Maga's religiosity is pure aesthetic

and what that hollowness means for the millions of Americans still taking their faith seriously.

For those looking for a quick overview,

the sources providing our top takes in about 50 minutes today

include Democracy Now, The Holy Post, the PBS News Hour, The

Cavernacle, Conspiratuality, SWAJ, and Man Carrying Thing.

Then, in the additional deeper dives half of the show, there will be more in four sections.

Section A, Trump and Companies Love, Hate, Paper Relationship, Section B, anti-Catholic sentiment in America,

section C, the Pope versus Trump, and section D, some miscellaneous historical context.

But first, a reminder to check out our new show solved on the Best of Left YouTube channel.

We're really proud of the show we're making and think you'll get real value out of it.

Plus, you checking it out will help us find new viewers on YouTube.

So thanks in advance for all of your reviews, likes, subscribes, and comments.

That's all on the best of left YouTube channel, linked in the show notes.

And now, on the show.

I applaud the Pope for his courage to say what his position demands him to say as a leader of faith,

as someone we look up to to speak truth to power and to call for a vision of peace.

And what we've witnessed is actually two versions of Christianity.

One represented by the Pope, shaped by the ethics of Christ, shaped even by Old Testament prophetic

...