Jesuit Father Thomas Reese has asserted that Donald Trump is not only a lawless brigand but a true figure of the antichrist.

“If we compare the Gospel message with that of Trump and other authoritarian leaders, we can only conclude that he and they are antichrists,” Father Reese wrote for the leftwing Religion News Service (RNS) this week.

In his piece titled “In a World Where Christ Is King, Authoritarian Leaders Can Only Be Antichrists,” Father Reese asserted that “anti-democratic leaders” like Trump are promising to “deliver justice by any means necessary.”

Last Sunday the Catholic Church celebrated the annual liturgical feast of Christ the King, and Reese made reference to the holiday to contrast Christ’s kingdom with that of “antichrists” like Donald Trump.

“Today, as between the two world wars, authoritarian leaders around the world are promising justice by any means necessary,” Reese said, perhaps also in reference to recent democratic elections in Italy, Brazil, and the Netherlands, which yielded populist leaders.

“They portray themselves as the heroes of their narratives where they alone can save the nation,” he added. “They will destroy our enemies and protect us from outsiders. They will not be slowed down by democratic niceties or laws.”

“Each promises that if we put him in power, if we make him king, he will save us. We will have success and prosperity,” he said.

In 2020, Father Reese stumped for Joe Biden, urging his fellow Catholics to join the “grassroots” group “Catholics for Biden.”

The launch event sought to “engage Catholic voters” and whip up enthusiasm for the Biden-Harris ticket.

Father Reese also attempted to convince Catholics that it is okay to vote for Catholic candidates who openly flout Church teaching on issues such as abortion.

“A Catholic Democrat might feel impelled to vote for Biden despite his position on abortion and gay marriage because of other morally grave reasons, for example, his positions on racism, immigration, global warming and COVID-19,” Reese argued.

Father Reese acknowledged that most Catholic Democrats disregard the Church’s moral teaching and “agree with Biden that abortion should be legal,” which removes any moral obstacle for supporting him.

Voting for Donald Trump is obviously another matter altogether, since how can anything justify voting for the “Antichrist”?

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