Pope Leo XIV is set to be officially inaugurated, making history as the first American to assume the papacy.
Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elevated to the position on May 8, choosing the papal name Leo XIV. Now, ten days later, he is being formally sworn in as the 267th pope.
Much like his predecessor, Pope Francis—who passed away last month at the age of 88—Pope Leo has not shied away from political matters.
In his first Sunday Angelus blessing as pontiff on May 11, delivered from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, he addressed the crowds with a powerful message: “Never again war.”
He called for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages, and the delivery of humanitarian aid. He also welcomed the ceasefire agreement reached between India and Pakistan.
While these remarks focused on the global stage, the 69-year-old pope has also been outspoken about domestic politics—specifically, U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies, both during Trump’s first term and now in his second.
Criticism of Trump Policies
‘Not Christian’
In 2018, then-Cardinal Prevost publicly supported a thread by Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, that criticized the Trump administration’s family separation policy.
“There is nothing remotely Christian, American, or morally defensible about a policy that takes children away from their parents and warehouses them in cages. This is being carried out in our name, and the shame is on us all,” read the first tweet in the thread, which Prevost retweeted.
‘Anti-immigrant’
Earlier, in 2015, Cardinal Timothy Dolan—Archbishop of New York—penned an op-ed for The Washington Post titled “Why Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is so problematic.” Prevost shared the article on his social media accounts, amplifying its message.
Pope Leo has been vocal on Twitter about the Trump administration, both in the president’s first and second term (Rocco Spaziani/Archivio Spaziani/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
Mass deportations
Most recently, he reposted a tweet from Philadelphia-based Catholic commentator Rocco Palmo, which read: “As Trump & Bukele use Oval to Feds’ illicit deportation of a US resident, once an undoc-ed Salvadorean himself, now-DC Aux +Evelio asks, ‘Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?'”
‘Abandoning American values’
In 2017, Palmo also shared a screenshot of an article written by Cardinal Cupich. Palmo captioned his tweet: “Calling refugee bans ‘a dark hour of US history,’ Card Blase says ‘the world is watching as we abandon our commitment to American values’.
Again, Pope Leo retweeted the post.
US becoming ‘immoral’
In the same year, 2017, Jesuit priest James Martin took to Twitter to share a picture of a young Syrian child covered in blood and dirt, with the caption: “We’re banning all Syrian refugees? The men, women and children who *most* need help? What an immoral nation we are becoming. Jesus weeps.”
The new pontiff retweeted the post.
Pope Leo seemingly disagrees with much of President Donald Trump’s policies (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Trump line fuels ‘racism’
Then again in 2017, Pope Leo quote tweeted a post from Palmo, with the pontiff writing: “Saying Trump’s ‘bad hombres’ line fuels ‘racism and nativism,’ Cali bishops send preemptive blast on DACA repeal.”
‘JD Vance is wrong’
The newly elected pope has also hit out at Trump’s vice president JD Vance, resharing an op-ed from the National Catholic Reporter titled: “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”
The article came after comments Vance made to Fox News in February earlier this year, Vance saying: “There is a Christian concept that you love your family and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens, and then after that, prioritize the rest of the world.
“A lot of the far left has completely inverted that.”
Vice-President JD Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, pictured at Pope Leo’s inauguration (ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump’s comments on Pope Leo
The resurfaced comments follow shortly after Trump took to Truth Social to react to the announcement of the newly appointed pope.
In a post to Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope.
“What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country.
“I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”
While speaking to Fox News reporter Sean Hannity while onboard Air Force One, he was asked: “We have our first American pope – he does seem to disagree with you on immigration… would you like to talk to him about that?”
Trump answered: “Sure. I would. He was really a surprise choice.”
