The News: Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene sparked controversy yet again, with inflammatory remarks directly accusing Catholic bishops of being “controlled by Satan.” The comments came as part of a clarification following an earlier social media post that many interpreted as celebrating Pope Francis’s death.
The Players: Marjorie Taylor Greene, U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District; Catholic bishops targeted in Greene’s statements; and William Donohue, President of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights who called for Greene’s censure.
The Stage: The exchange began on social media platform X shortly after Pope Francis’s death was announced by the Vatican. The controversy escalated through subsequent public statements when Catholic organizations demanded accountability for Greene’s remarks.
The Accusation: Hours after Pope Francis’s passing was announced, Greene posted on X: “Today there were major shifts in global leaderships. Evil is being defeated by the hand of God.” While not explicitly mentioning the Pope, the timing led many to interpret it as referencing his death.
Doubling Down: Following backlash, Greene issued a statement that doubled down rather than apologized: “It’s the church leadership I was referring to when I invoked the Devil. Just so we’re clear, bishops, when I said ‘controlled by Satan,’ I wasn’t talking about the Catholic Church. I was talking about you.”
Where it Gets Sticky: While Greene did not specifically mention Pope Francis, the Pope holds two titles. Globally, he is known as the Pope. However, the second title is The Bishop of Rome. In criticizing bishops, Greene is also criticizing the Pope. It is unclear whether or not this was intentional.
Greene’s Faith Statements: Greene has undergone several shifts in her own faith over the years. Her public statements indicate that at one point she identified as a Catholic, but stopped attending mass upon becoming a mother. “I stopped attending Mass when I became a mother after realizing I could not trust the Church leadership to protect my children from pedophiles,” Greene said.
In 2011, Greene identified as an evangelical and was re-baptized at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta. In more recent statements, Greene has openly identified as a Christian Nationalist. In July 2022 she was quoted as saying “We need to be the party of nationalism and I’m a Christian, and I say it proudly, we should be Christian nationalists.”
The Aftermath: The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights called for Greene’s censure over her remarks. Greene responded by demanding an apology from the organization’s president, William Donohue.
Greene’s District: Greene, who represents a heavily Republican district in northwest Georgia, has maintained support among her base despite frequent controversies throughout her political career. Her comments about Catholic leadership come at a sensitive time for the Church as it mourns Pope Francis and prepares to select new leadership.
While Greene’s district is mostly evangelical, there are Catholic congregations in the district, many of which would have voted for Greene, who wins overwhelmingly in elections in the district.
About The Public Record: This article is part of an ongoing series highlighting statements by public officials called The Public Record, where we present recent quotes and actions of public officials or candidates. You may not be able to attend every public meeting or see every occasion where your representatives speak, but you still have a right to know what your representatives and those who hope to represent you have been saying.
“Because public men and women are amenable ‘at all times’ to the people, they must conduct the public’s business out in the open.” -Charles L. Weltner Sr., former Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
