Brash billionaire Donald Trump’s epic battle with Pope Francis over immigration will play well with Southern evangelicals, analysts say, even though the pontiff blasted the GOP front-runner as “not Christian” for proposing a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Francis said yesterday when asked about Trump’s controversial plan to expel millions of illegal immigrants and build a massive wall along the U.S.-Mexican border.

Francis’ comments, which came as he wrapped up a weeklong trip to Mexico, were met with a ferocious counterpunch from the tough-talking casino and real estate magnate.

“For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful,” Trump, a Presbyterian, said during a campaign stop in South Carolina ahead of tomorrow’s GOP primary. “I am proud to be a Christian, and as president I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened.”

Political analysts predict Trump’s tussle with Pope Francis will be the latest gaffe-turned-campaign-boost for the cocky New York businessman, who has consistently risen in the polls despite his free-wheeling rhetoric.

“This is definitely going to help him,” South Carolina Republican consultant Rod Bedfield told the Herald. “It shows that he is not afraid and that’s what people love about him: He backs down from no one,” Bedfield said. “People are so frustrated with politicians and here is someone who is not afraid to take on the status quo. It doesn’t matter if it is Obama or the Pope or (Russian leader Vladimir) Putin — he is going to do it.”

Bedfield, who was quick to point out the Vatican is surrounded by a giant wall that’s “10 times bigger than what Trump wants to build on the Mexican border,” also said the candidate will benefit from saying he was just defending himself.

“The Pope landed the first punch,” Bedfield said. “If you’re going to land the first punch — I don’t care who you are — if you’re entering the political fray, you’re fair game.”

Even before yesterday, Trump had been critical of Francis’ visit to Mexico, saying he was being exploited by the Mexican government. After the pope’s remarks, Trump said he was being used as a “pawn.”

Salem State University political science professor Daniel Mulcare predicted the spat would be well-accepted by many Southern evangelicals, a key demographic that Trump and Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz are aggressively competing for.

And while butting heads with the head of the Catholic church might spell doom for one of his competitors, Mulcare stressed that “the normal rules of politics don’t apply to” Trump.

Boston College political science professor David Hopkins agreed, saying he doubts the back-and-forth with Francis will do much to hurt him in the long run — even with conservative Catholic voters.

“There are conservative Catholics who are not big fans of Pope Francis,” Hopkins said.

“So we may be too hasty in assuming that all Catholics, regardless of their own politics, will be outraged by criticism of the Pope.”

This year’s chaotic Republican field, Hopkins said, has been nearly impossible to predict. “We are completely off the map in this election,” he said.

Herald wire services contributed to this report.