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Pope Francis and Donald Trump on Global Challenges. An Analysis of Fratelli tutti and the 2020 Presidential Campaign
Renata Duda
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0476-9111Rafał Kowalski
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1062-1762Abstract
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: This article presents an analysis of Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli tutti in the context of Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign.
THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The aim is to assess the extent to which key issues identified by the Pope as threats to democracy – such as immigration, environmental neglect and populist tendencies – are reflected in the US President’s rhetoric.
THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The research problem concerns the discrepancy between Donald Trump’s political agenda and the moral message contained in the encyclical Fratelli tutti, in which the Pope offers a critique of populism, exclusionary policies and environmental neglect.
RESEARCH RESULTS: The results of the study demonstrate a clear contrast between the nationalistic and exclusive rhetoric of the then US president, which overlooked or marginalised environmental issues, and the inclusive and justice-oriented message of Fratelli tutti.
CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The article’s innovative approach consists of comparing the text of the papal encyclical Fratelli tutti with an analysis of Donald Trump’s 2020 election campaign rhetoric. Confronting the Pope’s reflections on migration, environmental protection, and the rise of populist tendencies with Donald Trump’s speeches revealed areas of tension between Catholic ethics and political practice. Consequently, the article proposes interpreting the papal document as a form of a moral intervention. This approach does not support any particular political agenda; rather, it aims to highlight the universal ethical principles that underlie social life.
Having a pope from the United States opens new perspectives for analyzing the Church’s social teaching in the context of American politics. In the future, it will be interesting to examine whether and how the new pope’s encyclicals address socio-political issues relevant to the U.S.
Keywords
Fratelli Tutti ; Pope Francis ; Donald Trump ; threat to democracy
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