Teaching is essential if you wish to have an informed country. Trump was asked about what the Constitution states about due process. He responded that his lawyers are looking into it. Our president hasn’t read the Constitution that he swore to respect. Due process is addressed in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments.

As for the Declaration of Independence, Trump is familiar with the document. Any student in junior high knows that the thirteen colonies declared their independence from England, which resulted in the American Revolution. When Trump was asked what he knew about the Declaration of Independence, his response differed from what all Americans know.

In the wake of the death of Pope Francis, Trump posted this AI-generated photo.

I don’t know whether Trump thought it was funny or whether it was wishful thinking. After Pope Francis’ funeral, there was speculation about who the 133 cardinals would pick to be the new pope. One name that had been discussed as a potential new pope was Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle from the Philippines. My web administrator lives in the Philippines; therefore, I did some research on Tagle.

Cardinal Tagle

Filipino Catholics are much more progressive and open-minded toward gay Catholics. Tagle didn’t want the church to look down upon gays and divorced Catholics. As the head of the Archdiocese of Manila in 2018, Tagle was asked about LGBTQ Filipino Catholics. A colleague remembered Tagle’s answer. “All of us are Catholics, all of us are parishioners, all of us are children of God. So why make that label and distinction? That just serves to separate or put people in boxes.”

Tagle was a Jesuit-educated Filipino priest who was ordained in 1982. He served as the bishop of the Diocese of Imus. Many locals gave him the nickname "Asian Francis." In 2012, he was elevated to the rank of cardinal.

When the white smoke emerged from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, Tagle wasn’t the new pope. Nevertheless, I was surprised that an American cardinal had been elected. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is now Pope Leo XIV. Even more surprising, he was born and grew up on the South Side of Chicago.

Pope Leo XIV

Methinks that the wannabe Pope Pius Trump needs to have me educate him on nearly everything. However, I’ll begin by teaching him about papal history. I’d start with the word pope. The origin of the word pope is the Ancient Greek word for father.

Papal history has faced several significant political problems, including the Great Schism, which occurred in 1054. At that time, the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodoxy experienced issues that led to a separation.

In the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church experienced the Avignon Papacy from 1309-1377, during which time Rome was no longer the headquarters of the church; instead, it was Avignon, France. The Great Western Schism, which lasted from 1378-1417, followed, resulting in two separate sets of popes for several decades.

Over the two millennia, there have been 266 popes prior to Leo XIV. Interestingly, several were married before becoming the pope. Adrian II 867-872 was married before and remained married during his papacy and had a daughter.

However, Trump needs to know that some of the 267 popes had dubious lifestyles and sexual misconduct. He shouldn’t follow in their footsteps, as tempting as that might be.

If I were given the opportunity to teach papal history, I would spend a great deal of time on Pope Urban II, who blessed the First Crusade in 1095 with a long speech, in which he said it was God’s will to kill the pagan infidels, who were the Jews and Muslims. Urban II also promised his crusaders, "All who go thither and lose their lives, be it on the road or on the sea, or in the fight against the pagans, will be granted immediate forgiveness for their sins. This is a grant to all who will march, by virtue of the great gift which God has given me." Again, Trump, even though he isn’t the new pope, would concur with discriminating against those from different ethnic or religious beliefs. Trump has major problems with Muslims and Hispanics, especially immigrants.

I’d show Trump this video that is a reenactment of the First Crusade. Actually, all the other crusades were similar.

Urban II or Pope Pius Trump entered the battle. Trump had a bone spur when he was young and got a deferment from the Vietnam War. History doesn’t mention whether Urban II also had a bone spur.