Donald Trump may have expressed his support for the new pope, but has he noted the critical opinions the new pope has held about his policies?
The announcement of Pope Francis’ successor came yesterday (May 8), with 69-year-old Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, stepping into the role of the Catholic Church’s leader.
Donald Trump, thrilled by the news of the first American pope, quickly shared his excitement on Truth Social. This came despite previous jokes about becoming pope himself and sharing an AI-generated image that offended many Catholics.
Yet, some past posts have emerged, suggesting the new pope’s critical views on Trump and his policies. The question remains: is Trump aware, and what might his response be?
According to Vatican News, the new pope was born in Chicago in September 1955. He studied at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago, earning a theology diploma, and entered the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977, taking his solemn vows in 1981.
He was ordained a priest in Rome in 1982 and achieved his licentiate in 1984. Pope Francis elevated him to cardinal in 2024.
Pope Leo holds beliefs similar to his predecessor, Pope Francis, supporting synodality to make the Church more inclusive, according to the College of Cardinal Report.
He has been vocal about the need for climate change action. However, he opposes the ordination of female deacons, arguing against ‘clericalizing women’.
Pope Leo also expresses reservations about blessing same-sex couples, citing ‘sympathy for beliefs and practices that contradict the gospel’.
His reservations about Trump’s policies have surfaced in recent tweets.
Recently, Leo shared a tweet: “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?'”
The Independent highlighted another tweet Leo shared: “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.”
Leo has also criticized Trump’s vice president JD Vance, sharing an op-ed titled: “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”
The article was a response to Vance’s February comments on Fox News, where he said: “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.”
Leo’s criticisms of Trump’s policies date back even further, with one instance from a decade ago.
In July 2015, Leo’s account shared an article by New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan for The Washington Post titled: “Why Donald Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric is so problematic.”
The reemerged comments come shortly after Trump responded to the new pope’s announcement on Truth Social.
In his Truth Social post, 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!”