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(LifeSiteNews) — On this week’s episode of Faith & Reason, John Henry-Westen, Father Charles Murr, and Frank Wright discuss the Vatican’s vague statement on the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, Archbishop Viganò’s response to the shooting, divine providence and the intervention of St. Michael the Archangel, and more.

Over the weekend, former President Donald Trump was shot in the right ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in a failed assassination attempt. Trump turned his head just in time for the bullet to miss his head and instead grazed his ear. The Vatican reacted to the shooting with a statement that omitted both the former president and the Pope’s names but expressed “concern” over political violence.

The statement read: “The Holy See expresses its concern about last night’s episode of violence, which wounds people and democracy, causing suffering and death. It joins the U.S. Bishops’ prayer for America, for the victims, and for peace in the country, that the motives of the violent may never prevail.”

Wright compared this statement to the Holy See’s previous statement following the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe two years ago. The beginning of which read: “His Holiness Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of the assassination of Mr. Shinzo Abe.” Wright noted that the Pope was quick to mention Abe’s name.

A more recent statement following the attempted assassination of Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in May, written by the Pope in the first person, reads in part, “I have learned with sorrow the sad news of the attack on the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, His Excellency Mr. Robert Fico.”

“In both cases, these are statements issued on behalf of or by the Pope himself, but this one was simply by the Vatican press corps,” Wright said.

Westen chimed in that Pope Francis has repeatedly expressed his disdain for Trump. He pointed to his 2016 comments that Trump was “not Christian“ for wanting to build a border wall, while at the same time considering pro-abortion politicians like President Joe Biden and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to be Catholics in good standing. “That’s absolutely disgusting!” Westen said.

READ: Did Our Lady of Fatima and St. Michael the Archangel protect Trump from assassination?

Fr. Murr agreed with Westen and emphasized that the Holy See’s statement was undiplomatic and even divisive. “For an organization, the Vatican, that prides itself on diplomacy, they founded diplomacy in the modern world, that’s probably one of the most undiplomatic statements I’ve ever heard. It’s really sad. This is exactly what we’ve been talking about, and people have been talking about since this assassination attempt to unite. To try to unite the nation, not to divide us, and that statement is very divisive.”  

Murr also agreed with Wright that the statement’s failure to mention Trump or the Holy Father’s names was strange. “Just the very fact that you would treat such an event that way, not being mentioned by name, nor did he mention himself. It’s a completely neutral statement, which means nothing, but it also means something very negative. And the Pope should be a bigger man.”

The panel then looked at a tweet from the recently excommunicated Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò which suggested Trump was targeted for his “anti-globalist” policies. 

“The subversive diabolical power of the international deep state is evident, is there for all to see. Its crimes against God and humanity can no longer be hidden,” he wrote on X. “I urge all Catholics, American patriots and people of good will to pray [to] Our Lord in this time of great threat looming over the world. I express to President Trump and his family my spiritual closeness, assuring them of my prayers.”

Westen said this was the response the Pope should have made, and Fr. Murr offered an additional message for the former president.

“Mr. President, this was an act of divine providence, and many of us Catholics see it exactly as that, an act of divine providence that you were spared. And we are elated that you were spared. We thank God for it.”

Westen agreed that Trump was spared in an act of divine providence, adding that St. Michael the Archangel must have played a role. Father James Altman recently delivered a statue of the saint to Trump through his son Barron, which now allegedly sits on his bedstand. Westen emphasized that Trump turned his head at just the right time, and that was the difference between life and death.

Wright concurred that this was indeed an act of divine intervention. “That was miraculous. You’d have to be remarkably talented to hit that target hidden from that position and intentionally miss. I think the intention was to kill him.” Noting that between five to eight barrings were discharged, killing one spectator directly behind Trump and wounding two others, the shooter had lethal intent.

“I think God’s hand saved him, and I think it’s hard to deny that once you’ve looked into it even a little bit.”

For more discussion on reactions to the assassination attempt, St. Michael the Archangel’s intervention, and more, tune in to this week’s episode of Faith & Reason.

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Pledge to pray for Donald Trump after assassination attempt: Sign now