Politics gets weird. We know this. But the recent firestorm involving marjorie taylor greene pope Francis comments has reached a level of tension that honestly feels different. It isn’t just your standard "left vs. right" bickering anymore. It has turned into a deep-seated theological and cultural clash that has left millions of Catholics—and plenty of non-Catholics—scratching their heads.
Basically, it started with a post on X (formerly Twitter) that didn’t even mention the Pope by name. But timing is everything in politics, isn't it?
On April 21, 2025, the world learned that Pope Francis had passed away at age 88. Just hours after the Vatican confirmed his death, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted: "Today, there were major shifts in global leaderships. Evil is being defeated by the hand of God."
People lost it.
The backlash was instant and massive. While some of her hardcore supporters argued she was talking about something else—maybe some shadowy "deep state" shift or general global politics—the Catholic League didn't buy it for a second. Bill Donohue, the league's president, went as far as calling for her censure. He wasn't subtle about it either. He basically said that while anyone can criticize the Pope, a sitting member of Congress shouldn't be denigrating the leader of a global religion right as he passes.
The Backstory of the Marjorie Taylor Greene Pope Feud
To understand why everyone jumped to the conclusion that she was attacking the late Pontiff, you have to look at her history. This wasn't her first rodeo with the Catholic Church.
Greene was actually raised Catholic. She was baptized in the church and even got married there. But she left years ago to become an evangelical Protestant. She’s been very open about why, too. Back in 2022, she went on a tear against the U.S. bishops, calling them "satanic" and claiming they were "destroying our nation."
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Her beef? Mostly two things:
- The Sex Abuse Scandal: She’s stated she couldn't trust the leadership to protect her children, calling the clergy "monsters."
- Immigration: This is the big one. She absolutely loathes that Catholic charities and bishops provide aid to undocumented immigrants at the border. She’s called it "Democrat vandalism" dressed up as religion.
So, when the marjorie taylor greene pope controversy erupted in 2025, it was landing on years of built-up resentment. Pope Francis and Greene were never going to be buddies. Francis was famously critical of the "build the wall" mentality, once saying that anyone who thinks only about building walls and not building bridges "is not Christian."
That’s a direct shot at the MAGA platform Greene champions.
Why the 2025 Post Hit Different
The 2025 post felt like a final bridge burned. Social media was a mess. You had Catholics who weren't even fans of Francis’s more progressive leans coming out to defend the office of the Papacy.
"I have defended MTG in the past. Never again," one user wrote. Another called it a "new low."
It’s interesting because Greene has built her brand on being a "Christian nationalist." She leans heavily into her faith to justify her policy positions. But by seemingly calling the head of the largest Christian denomination in the world "evil," she managed to alienate a huge chunk of the GOP base—the conservative Catholics.
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Honestly, it’s a risky move.
Georgia has a significant Catholic population. In a tight election, you can’t really afford to tell a few hundred thousand voters that their spiritual leader was a tool of Satan.
The Censure Push and the Fallout
The Catholic League’s demand for censure put House leadership in a tough spot. Speaker Mike Johnson and the House Ethics Committee suddenly had a hot potato on their hands. If they ignored it, they looked like they were condoning anti-Catholicism. If they moved on it, they’d have a civil war within the caucus.
Greene, for her part, didn't back down. She didn't apologize.
She hasn't really clarified the post either.
In her world, the ambiguity is the point. It lets her supporters project whatever "evil" they hate onto the post while giving her just enough "plausible deniability" to say she didn't name names. But the Catholic League isn't playing that game. Donohue argued that her history of slandering Catholics makes the intent "obvious."
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It’s also worth noting the timing of her other scandals. Around the same time as the marjorie taylor greene pope mess, she was facing heat for some pretty suspicious stock trades made right before major policy shifts. It’s a classic MTG weekend: a theological firestorm on one hand and a financial scandal on the other.
What This Means for 2026 and Beyond
If you're trying to figure out where this goes next, keep an eye on the primary challengers. Usually, Greene is untouchable in her district. But "anti-Catholic" is a label that sticks in a way "firebrand" doesn't.
Key Takeaways from the Controversy:
- The Religion Shift: Greene’s move from Catholicism to Evangelicalism is the root of her "insider-turned-critic" perspective.
- The Policy Gap: The Catholic Church’s stance on social welfare and migration is fundamentally at odds with Greene’s "America First" agenda.
- The Political Risk: While she plays to a specific base, the "evil" comment may have permanently damaged her standing with traditionalist Catholic voters who previously tolerated her.
The reality? Greene isn't going to change her tone.
She thrives on the friction.
But as the 2026 election cycle approaches, the marjorie taylor greene pope incident will likely be a weapon used by her opponents to paint her as someone who isn't just "pro-faith," but specifically "anti-Catholic." For a party that relies on a coalition of religious voters, that’s a dangerous crack in the foundation.
If you want to stay on top of how this affects the polls, keep a close watch on the "Catholic Vote" metrics in the Southeast. That’s where the real impact will show up. You should also check the House Ethics Committee’s public docket for any movement on the Catholic League’s petition; if a formal investigation is opened, the political temperature will go from a simmer to a full boil.