Pope Leo XIV was elected as the new Pope. Credit: Christopher Furlong / Getty
White smoke poured from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, May 8, signaling the election of a new Pope.Moments later, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was introduced to the world as Pope Leo XIV — the 267th pope and, for the first time in history, an American.The 69-year-old pontiff, born in Chicago on September 14, 1955, started his religious life in the U.S. before moving to Peru, where he served as a missionary and later as a bishop.He holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Peru and was appointed President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America in 2023.Now, he’s not only the head of the Catholic Church — he’s also a new name in global politics.Donald Trump celebrated the announcement on Truth Social, writing: “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!”
But while Trump might be thrilled about an American Pope, Leo XIV’s Twitter history tells a different story.As reported by the Telegraph, several of Pope Leo XIV’s past tweets have resurfaced since his election — and they don’t exactly sing Trump’s praises.In 2018, then-Cardinal Prevost reshared a pointed post by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich: “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.”He also reposted criticism of Trump’s infamous “bad hombres” line and tweeted in support of DACA, which protects undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.
As recently as this April, he shared a post calling out both U.S. and El Salvadoran leaders: “Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscious not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?”
Pope Leo has criticized Trump. credit: Europa Press News / Getty
And on February 3, he shared an article with the headline: “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”Before the conclave concluded, Trump even joked about throwing his own name into the hat. “I’d like to be pope,” he told reporters. “That would be my number one choice.”Taking the idea more seriously, he added: “I must say we have a cardinal who happens to be out of a place called New York who’s very good,” referring, presumably, to Archbishop Timothy Dolan.He is a longtime Trump ally who offered the invocation at his second inauguration and led a memorial mass for Pope Francis at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.
