Canadian editorial cartoonist Michael de Adder went viral after sharing his recent political cartoon titled The Contrarian to depict newly-elected Pope Leo XIV reacting to the MAGA faithful who have criticized his papacy because he's too "woke."
Pope Leo was criticized by MAGA supporters last week after they became aware of an article he once shared that criticized Vice President JD Vance because "Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others."
Notably, the new Pope previously condemned the Trump administration on social media for Trump’s “anti-immigrant rhetoric” back in 2015. He later reposted messages criticizing the death penalty, mass deportations, and Congress’s failure to act on gun reform after mass shootings.
In his first address to the cardinals, he reaffirmed his commitment to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the landmark 1960s meetings that ushered the Catholic Church into the modern era. He named artificial intelligence as one of the defining issues of the current age, warning that it raises profound concerns about human dignity, justice, and the future of work.
Enter de Adder, who shared his cartoon showing the Pope in front of a crucified Jesus Christ as he stares down MAGA supporters brandishing Trump signs and saying:
"If you think I'm too woke, you should talk to my boss."
You can see the cartoon below.
Perhaps the most significant passage for understanding what some today might call the “wokeness” of Jesus is found in Matthew 25:31–46. In it, Jesus delivers a striking critique of societies and systems that fail to care for the poor, the hungry, the sick, and the imprisoned—those most vulnerable and marginalized.
Jesus was clearly awake to systemic injustice, as noted by Pastor Adam Ericson, who in a blog post observed that "the fact that some Christians are rejecting Christ’s 'liberal' talking points is good news" because it "shows that more people are understanding his radical message about love, forgiveness, and justice."
de Adder's cartoon clearly resonated with many.
The pope will no doubt continue to weather criticism because his beliefs appear to be more in tune with his predecessor, Pope Francis, who died last month at the age of 88.
Pope Leo is distinguished as the first member of the Order of St. Augustine to lead the Catholic Church. Founded in 1244, the Augustinian order has approximately 2,800 members across 47 countries and is guided by three core values: “truth, unity, and love.”
If that bothers MAGA, well, that says a lot.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social