Selective Outrage: When the Pope Is Threatened and Christians Go Silent

The Pope Was Threatened, Nobody Cared

More outrage has come from Catholic circles over transgender children using one bathroom or another than over an administration threatening the Pope...

A deep dive into distraction, power, and the loss of misericordia. 

Exploring the meaning of misericordia, the role of the Pope, and the widening gap between Christian outrage and Christ-like conscience.

On April 10, 2026, I wrote: “Can someone watch this video and explain what it’s about?”

I was genuinely exhausted. Not just tired, but mentally drained by the constant stream of what I now call S.P.A.M.

Self-Protecting Attention Manipulation.

Noise, pushed out daily, even hourly, by people committed to undermining good order, whether God-ordained or man-made.

I couldn’t take it anymore. That line was not casual. It was a cry for help.

Can someone watch this video and explain what it’s about?

The strange thing is, just four days later, I don’t even remember what the video was about.

And that is precisely the point.

Distraction

A flood of manufactured outrage, amplified to protect interests, keep audiences engaged, and scatter attention.

It clutters the airwaves.

It consumes intellectual bandwidth.

It drains time, energy, and clarity.

It is, in effect, a denial-of-service attack on human thought.

People spend precious hours debating or refuting things that instinct alone should tell them are not worth the effort.

So corrosive is it to the human intellect that, in another age, it might have been considered a crime against humanity.

Lines Already Drawn

It now seems clear:

The battle lines between good and not-good are no longer forming.

They are already drawn.

Armageddon no longer feels distant.

It feels near.

And yet, there is a contrast.

Thoughtful Christians pause.

They check facts.

They consider history.

They recognize pain, complexity, and unintended consequences.

Even when they speak, they do so cautiously.

But those driven by the S.P.A.M. machinery flood timelines relentlessly with outrage.

They know it keeps their base in captivity.

They also know it exhausts everyone else, leaving them too drained to respond to the next wave.

The Silence That Followed

Now, about threatening the Pope.

What struck me most was not the headlines, but the reaction.

Or rather, the lack of one.

Not a single person in the anti-woke, or what one might call #MAGAtholic circle I know raised an eyebrow.

So I sent a message:

More outrage has come from Catholic circles over transgender children using one bathroom or another than over an administration threatening the Pope.

Day 1: Silence.

Day 2: Outrage about bathrooms. Silence about the Pope.

End of Day 2: Still silence.

A Conflict of Allegiance

It should not be difficult for Christians, especially those who claim to see Scripture through the lens of Christ, to take a position here.

The refusal to do so in what is clearly good versus not-good raises a deeper question:

Is this what Scripture calls a strong delusion?

Are we witnessing not merely political or religious confusion, but something deeper?

A conflict within the soul itself.

A struggle between Christ and that which seeks to replace Him.

The Headlines

The headlines have been relentless:

1. “JD Vance: The Pope Should Be More Careful When Talking About Theology.”
2. “After Criticizing the Pope, Trump Posts Image of Himself as a Jesus-like Figure.”
3. “Pope Cancels Plans After Alleged U.S. Military Warning.”
4. “Why Would the Pentagon Allegedly Threaten the Pope’s Ambassador?”
5. “Official Warns Pope Military Can Do Whatever It Wants.”

A Question That Cannot Be Avoided

Why would anyone threaten the Pope?

What has he done wrong?

Why would the Vice President of America, a supposed recent convert to Catholicism, say:

“The Pope should be more careful when talking about theology.”

What gives him that effrontery?

Perhaps in asking what the Pope represents, we begin to understand why he is seen as a threat.

What Does the Pope Represent?

1. The continuing relevance of Christ in the life of believers
2. The moral authority of Christ
3. The visible call to conscience in a world driven by power
4. The unity of humanity under God
5. The embodiment of Christ’s misericordia

Back to the Questions

Why would anyone threaten the Pope for speaking as Christ would?

Why would such actions be seen as anathema?

Why would a Catholic say to the Pope:

“Be more careful when talking about theology.”

What is Misericordia?

Misericordia comes from:

1. miseri — the suffering
2. cor — the heart

It means:

A heart moved by another’s misery

It is not passive emotion.

It is active mercy.

1. Compassion
2. Tenderness
3. Kindness
4. Charitable love
5. Gentleness

It is mercy that bends downward, not because it must, but because it loves.

In Christ, misericordia is no longer an idea, but a lived reality.

The healing of the leper.

The feeding of the multitude.

The raising of Lazarus.

Moments where love acts.

Misericordia is most fully revealed in Jesus Christ.

A Hard Question

What kind of heart would find these offensive?

1. Tenderness
2. Kindness
3. Loving mercy
4. Compassion
5. Gentleness

Look honestly:

What could make you reject these things?

The answer is simple:

Rebellion.

Rebellion against what?

Misericordia itself.

The Real Question

Do these questions need answers?

Or do we already know them,

quietly,

uncomfortably,

within ourselves?

The Antichrist and the Spirit of Rebellion

The Antichrist can be understood not just as a figure, but as an office. An ancient one.

Its purpose is singular: rebellion against Christ.

Scripture says:

“For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion…”

(2 Thessalonians 2:11)

Why?

“…so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but delighted in wickedness.”

(2 Thessalonians 2:12)

This is judgment.

The Antichrist is not merely a person, but a function that leads into rebellion:

1. Against Christ
2. Against Christlikeness
3. Against the Holy Spirit
4. Against God

And in every generation, whoever occupies that office is a man of lawlessness.

That is not interpretation.

That is Scripture.

The Crisis of the Shepherds

In all of this, something deeply troubling emerges.

Priests who speak in persona Christi,

who proclaim the Gospel in the name of Christ and the Church…

…show more outrage about bathrooms than about a Pope being threatened.

This is their moment.

Their Nero moment.

Yet instead of leading the faithful to safety, many remain silent.

Worse, some appear aligned with the very force they should resist.

Not a single meaningful voice from the so-called Religious Liberty Commission has spoken up.

Apparently, the Pope has no religious liberty of his own.

Power now offers what they prioritize:

1. Influence
2. Ideology
3. Proximity

And so they elevate figures who:

1. Do not meaningfully claim Christ
2. Do not act in Christ’s authority
3. Do not represent Him
4. And are therefore unknown to Him

Yet they amplify such figures in religious spaces.

And when those figures declare:

“We will not be ashamed of our religion”

They applaud, instead of asking:

Which religion?

Selective Outrage

Outrage over “wokeism” is immediate.

Loud. Constant.

But when the Pope is insulted or threatened:

Silence.

The contrast is undeniable.

Conclusion

An unsettling question we must all answer:

What has our faith become?

I rest my case.

Don Kenobi

#OldManInTheMolue

#MyFrancisEssays