One of America’s most high-profile Evangelicals has sparked a backlash by suggesting Pope Leo XIV should meet with Donald Trump to thank him for advancing religious freedom.

Franklin Graham, the son of the famed evangelist Billy Graham, also took to social media on Thursday to defend Trump’s controversial post depicting himself as a Christ-like figure—and Trump’s bizarre explanation that he thought the image portrayed him as “a doctor.”

“I do not believe President Trump would knowingly depict himself as Jesus Christ—that would certainly be inappropriate,” Graham wrote.

“I’m thankful the President has made it very clear that this was not at all what he thought the AI-generated image was representing—he thought it was a doctor helping someone, and when he learned of the concerns, he immediately removed the post.”

The intervention comes as tensions between the Trump administration and the Vatican escalated. Trump has repeatedly attacked the American-born pope, calling him “weak on crime” and accusing him of catering to the “radical left,” while also claiming the pope’s election was tied to U.S. political dynamics.

The pope, in turn, responded that he has “no fear” of the Trump administration and would continue to speak out against war and what he has described as a “delusion of omnipotence” driving global conflict.

But Graham suggested on Thursday that the pair should set up a meeting so that Pope Leo could express his gratitude to Trump for everything he’s done to advance religious liberty.

“I’m not a Catholic, I’m an evangelical, but I appreciate how President Trump has defended religious freedom for people of all faiths, including millions of evangelicals and Catholics in the U.S. and around the world,” he said.

“He is the most pro-Christian, pro-life president in my lifetime, and he doesn’t shy away from it. I would hope that the President and Pope Leo can meet at some point, and that the Pope would have the opportunity to thank the President for his efforts to protect religious liberty for Catholics and people of all faiths.”

The comments—which were made a day after Trump canceled an $11 million contract with Catholic charities in Miami—prompted an immediate backlash.