JC:

The recent spat between the pope and the president of the United States highlights the role each should play in maintaining peace and stability in the world particularly in times of conflict. The state, as in the government, is obviously the lead player in a crisis. Some could, and would be within their rights to accuse the president of being the cause of the crisis. The church, while not directly involved, being the institution it is, has every right to have an opinion on the matter and it has every right to express that opinion in public.