Dear OnePeterFive Confraternity members, donors and supporters,
As you may know, President Donald Trump posted a blasphemous image of himself as Our Lord Jesus Christ. However, he (or someone from his staff, or a robot), strangely changed the original to include some kind of libertas goddess (“horned figure”?), wearing the divinising sun crown (Libertas is the goddess that is the Statue of Liberty).
One of my friends suggested to me that men of God should organise a Novena to the Holy Face of Jesus in reparation for this outrage against Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The devotion to the Holy Face is particularly meant against blasphemies in the modern world.
I ask you to join me in praying this Novena in reparation for this blasphemy by Mr. Trump, and pray with the intention that Mr. Trump be converted to the Catholic Church, which is the one true Church, the Ark of Salvation.
I will post this every day for nine days starting tomorrow. Choose your Novena prayer options below.
Read about the change Trump made to the blasphemous image here.
Update: April 13, 1:20pm EST: Mr. Trump has now deleted the post and claimed that it was meant to be a promotion of the Red Cross and a depiction of himself as a doctor. We are grateful that the President has not defended his rash actions, and if his explanation is true, it is also true that the image itself is sinful per se, according to the words of St. Thomas: “On like manner active scandal is always a sin in the person who gives scandal, since either what he does is a sin, or if it only have the appearance of sin, it should always be left undone out of that love for our neighbor which binds each one to be solicitous for his neighbor’s spiritual welfare; so that if he persist in doing it he acts against charity” (II-II q43 a2).
Update: April 13, 2:40pm EST. A comparison of AI prompts suggests that the prompt which generated the image indeed was intended to depict Mr. Trump as Jesus Christ Our Lord. This does not prove that Mr. Trump intended that, however. Mr. Trump is either lying or woefully ignorant about what Our Lord Jesus Christ looks like. Either way, we need to pray for him to be converted to Jesus Christ and His Church.
Update: Tuesday April 14, 10:23am EST – after further thought and prayer on this, I’ve decided to go ahead with the Novena, no matter what is the truth of Mr. Trump’s intentions and knowledge. I hope what he says is true – that the image was an honest mistake. But the image is per se blasphemous against His Majesty. It was seen by millions worldwide. Therefore, whatever the reality of Mr. Trump’s interior, Jesus Christ, Son of God, was blasphemed worldwide by (arguably) the most powerful and conspicuous person on the planet. As a Michigander, resident of these United States, I feel I have a duty to do what I can to offer reparation for this blasphemy. May the Holy Name of Jesus be praised on His Eucharistic Throne, Who reigns over every nation, whether they acknowledge Him or not!
NOVENA OPTIONS
Holy Face Novena App (Intercede App)
Text of Holy Face Prayers and Litany
