Robert Francis Prevost, 69, has been elected the 267th pope of the Catholic Church, taking the name Leo XIV. Born in Chicago to a family of immigrants, French and Spanish, Pope Leo has long aligned with the progressive social teachings of his predecessor, Pope Francis, particularly on issues like climate change, immigration, and poverty.
Though born in the United States, the Vatican refers to Leo XIV as the second pope from the Americas, following Pope Francis of Argentina.
In contrast to the policies championed by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, Leo XIV has openly supported the rights of migrants and the marginalized. His personal background reflects this commitment. “I was born in the United States,” he once said, “but my grandparents were all immigrants… I was raised in a very Catholic family. Both of my parents were very engaged in the parish.”
President Trump congratulated the newly elected pope, calling it “such an honor for our country,” and wishing him well. However, Trump’s actions in the days leading up to the papal election drew controversy. During the Vatican’s mourning period for Pope Francis, Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself in papal robes with the caption, “I’d like to be pope. That would be my No. 1 choice,” on Truth Social. The image, later reshared by the official White House account, sparked widespread backlash from both religious and political figures.
Trump later added, “I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who’s very good, so we’ll see what happens,” referring to Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
As Cardinal Robert Prevost, the new pope was vocal about his disagreements with JD Vance. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he responded to a Fox News interview where Vance discussed a Christian hierarchy of love. “JD Vance is wrong,” Prevost wrote. “Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”
Vance had stated, “You love your family, then your neighbor, then your fellow citizens, and after that, the rest of the world.” After facing criticism, Vance defended his view online by citing “ordo amoris,” a theological term meaning “the order of love.” “The idea that there isn’t a hierarchy of obligations violates basic common sense,” he wrote.
In response, Prevost shared a Jesuit article titled “Pope Francis’ Letter, JD Vance’s ‘Ordo Amoris,’ and What the Gospel Asks of Us on Immigration,” doubling down on his stance.
Though Vance later congratulated Leo XIV on his election, saying “millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work”, the ideological divide remains clear.
Most recently, Pope Leo XIV reposted a social media article criticizing the Trump administration’s deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a U.S. resident who was mistakenly sent to El Salvador, where he was imprisoned in one of the world’s most dangerous facilities. He remains unable to return to the U.S.
