CROSS TO BEAR

There is only person who is really battling for the soul of the nation.

Opinion

Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Reuters

John Casey

Updated Apr. 11 2026 10:14AM EDT

Published Apr. 11 2026 9:30AM EDT

For decades, conservative Catholics and the religious right have prayed for a “red”-blooded American pope. Someone who would place…