Canadian bishops’ conference weighs in on just war, image of President Trump as Christ figure
April 16, 2026
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CWN Editor's Note: The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) today reiterated “several principles of Catholic teaching that remain especially relevant in times of war and international tension.”
“Catholic teaching holds that war is subject to strict conditions of moral legitimacy,” the episcopal conference’s Communications Service stated. “The use of force cannot be presumed to be just a priori; it must satisfy grave and demanding criteria, and may be considered only as a last resort.”
“Even where force is judged permissible, the protection of civilians remains a fundamental obligation,” the CCCB continued. “The destruction of essential civilian infrastructure and the resulting suffering of non-combatants are to be avoided.”
In an implicit but clear reference to President Donald Trump’s decision to post an AI-generated image of himself that appeared to depict him as Jesus, the CCCB stated:
It is also important to recall that imagery or rhetoric presenting political leaders in terms that belong uniquely to Christ and His saving work is wholly unfitting. In addition to being disrespectful, such representations blur the proper distinction between faith and political power, distorting the meaning of both.The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.
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