Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, became the first American pope after being elected the 267th pontiff on May 8. Ten days later, he officially took the oath of office. Like his predecessor, Pope Francis, he hasn’t avoided political issues.
During his first Sunday blessing on May 11, Pope Leo called for global peace, urging a ceasefire in Gaza, peace in Ukraine, and praised the truce between India and Pakistan.
However, Pope Leo has also been openly critical of former President Donald Trump’s domestic policies, particularly on immigration. In past years, he retweeted or shared critical statements from prominent Catholic leaders:
- Condemning child separation at the border as “not Christian.”
- Sharing an article criticizing Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric.
- Highlighting opposition to refugee bans and deportations.
- Accusing Trump’s language of fueling racism and nativism.
- Rejecting Vice President JD Vance’s views on ranking compassion.
Despite these criticisms, Trump congratulated Pope Leo on Truth Social, calling it “a great honor for our country” and expressed interest in meeting him, even acknowledging their differences on immigration.
