The Pope, I hope, can only be scared by God.

“The Pope, I hope, can only be scared by God.” — Donald Trump

In this striking and layered declaration, Donald Trump speaks of power and reverence, of fear and faith. When he says, “The Pope, I hope, can only be scared by God,” he is not merely commenting on a man, but on the nature of authority, courage, and spiritual conviction. It is a statement about what it means to be unshaken by earthly things — to live in such deep faith that no human, no king, no empire can bring fear, save the divine itself. Within this simple sentence lies an ancient truth: that true power is not the power to intimidate, but the power to stand firm before all that would intimidate you.

To understand this saying, we must first understand the Pope — not merely as the head of the Catholic Church, but as a symbol of spiritual sovereignty. Across the centuries, Popes have faced emperors, wars, and even death, yet their authority rests not in armies or wealth, but in the unseen strength of belief. To say that the Pope fears only God is to say that faith, when pure, makes one untouchable by the storms of the world. In this way, Trump’s words, whether spoken in jest or admiration, echo a timeless reverence for the sacred courage that arises when a person’s heart is anchored in conviction rather than fear.

In the days of the ancients, fear was seen as both a curse and a teacher. The Stoic philosophers taught that the wise man must master fear — that he should fear neither death nor fate, for these are beyond his control. The only thing to fear, said the ancients, is dishonor before the divine order — the loss of virtue, the betrayal of truth. And so, Trump’s statement, though modern in tongue, stands on ancient soil: the righteous man, like the Pope, must bow before no power but the eternal. All else — wealth, position, criticism, or threat — is temporary, and thus unworthy of true fear.

Consider Pope John Paul II, who lived under the shadow of tyranny and survived an assassin’s bullet, yet never yielded to hatred. When communism sought to silence faith in his homeland, he stood before the multitudes and cried, “Be not afraid!” Those three words became a rallying flame that helped topple empires. He feared not the weapons of men, for he believed that only God could command his soul. His courage was not the absence of danger, but the triumph of faith over fear. In him, the meaning of Trump’s quote finds its living embodiment: the man of faith is not fearless because the world is harmless, but because his allegiance lies beyond the world.

But this truth is not confined to the Popes of Rome or the saints of history. It speaks to every human soul that seeks to live with purpose and integrity. Each of us faces powers that seek to frighten us — the judgment of others, the loss of comfort, the uncertainty of the future. Yet the wisdom of this saying reminds us: do not fear what is beneath you; fear only what is above you. Do not tremble before those who can harm the body, but before the betrayal of your own spirit. The world may roar and threaten, but those who hold fast to faith — whether faith in God, in truth, or in the sacred duty of one’s calling — remain unbroken.

In another sense, the quote may also reflect on leadership itself. A true leader must not be swayed by the winds of public opinion or the fear of consequence. Like the Pope before kings, the leader must stand firm in the presence of power — answering only to conscience and principle. The ancients praised such steadiness as virtù, the strength of character that makes a man unmoved amid chaos. Thus, the words, “can only be scared by God,” become a mirror for all who bear responsibility: govern not from fear of others, but from reverence for what is right.

Lesson:
From Donald Trump’s words, we learn that true strength is spiritual, not worldly. To fear only God is to walk with courage, humility, and purpose. Let no man’s anger, no critic’s voice, no fleeting trouble make you tremble. Stand rooted in your values, your faith, your truth. When you act from conviction — when your soul is clear and your conscience pure — then, like the Pope, you become unshakable. Remember: all earthly power fades, but the fear of God — the reverence for truth and righteousness — endures forever. Seek not to be fearless by pride, but fearless by faith. For the one who bows only to the divine stands taller than all the kings of the earth.