Ever since an American Pope was chosen, the Catholic world has been elated. After Pope Francis’ demise, the new pope was selected by the cardinal electors. On May 8th, Pope Leo XIV addressed the crowd from the balcony of the chapel as people came to greet him.
He spoke about unifying the Church and working towards a collective goal. Selecting an American was a huge milestone for the Cardinals. While many have been cheering the decision, some conservative catholics have expressed their concerns over the new pope.
The new pope is a Chicagoan who is known as Robert Prevost. He moved to Peru and held dual citizenship. He has been present in the US as a priest while also working as a missionary in Peru. He has helped in building bridges and houses for the needy. Moreover, he was teaching there and learning about their culture. Moreover, he was handpicked for the top Vatican position by the former pope to be elected as the pope. So he does have the seal of approval from Pope Francis.
Apart from his catholic duties, Pope Leo likes to play tennis and wordle puzzles. Everyone has been speaking about his kind looks and how he speaks. Trump supporters and the administration may not agree here, though. Although Trump congratulated the new pope, saying it is a great honor for our country, many don’t feel the same as they dug into his old social media posts, where he has criticized immigration policies and condemned families getting separated. Here he shares the same sentiment as the former pope.
I think I’m going to really like this Pope! “To be called woke in a world that sleeps through suffering is no insult, it is Gospel”. Pope Leo pic.twitter.com/t0loUX5Si2
— Here For THEE Comments 1 (@forthecomments1) May 11, 2025
Laura Loomer went ahead to say that he is just another Marxist puppet in the Vatican and thinks he will be in the footsteps of the last pope. We know how Pope Francis advocated for immigration rights, the environment, and helping those in need till his last breath. His meeting with JD Vance touched on the same topics. Currently, the new pope is being called woke just because he has progressive opinion, as per a report. However, his opinions do align with church teachings, which are all about helping the neighbor and reflecting Jesus’ command to love them.
Trump supporters, who are also catholic, suffer a dilemma here. They are stressed on who to support as their political views align with Trump while trying to be good catholics. Those who supported Pope Francis are happy with Pope Leo’s selection as they know he will support immigrants, work towards the environment, and help the poor. They see him as someone who does not discriminate and shows that Christianity is not selective.
When the American Pope Leo the XIV turns out to be more woke than Pope Francis https://t.co/p6CONfuOF6 pic.twitter.com/6ywrysXONR
— 679 Enthusiast (@marionumber4) May 8, 2025
Even in his first speech, Pope Leo wanted to combine the divided Church, whether it’s due to different beliefs or political opinions. His message was all about unity and peace. Moreover, his focus is beyond his American origin and covers the whole world.
For Americans who support Trump, the choice may be hard to balance. We are yet to witness a relationship between Trump and the new pope, as the new meeting will happen soon. They might clash considering different views on various issues. His views may unite the people as he sticks to his Catholic beliefs while also navigating the relationship between politics and religion.
Scroll down for more images of Pope Leo XIV:
