In a Vatican-endorsed op-ed, close allies of Pope Francis accused hyper-conservative American Catholics of rejecting Christian principles by aligning with fundamentalist evangelical Christians to back President Donald Trump and his policies.

Co-authors Antonio Spadaro and Marcelo Figueroa call the union an “ecumenism of hate.” Evangelical advisors to Trump sent a letter to the Vatican requesting a meeting to “create a space for dialogue instead of conflict.” The letter also praised the Pope’s “efforts to build bridges and to spread the doctrine of mercy around the world” and his “commitment to the poor”.

We discuss the religious row with Michael Murphy, director of Catholic Studies and associate director of The Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage at Loyola University Chicago.