Topline
Tweets from an X account appearing to belong to the newly elected leader of the Catholic Church, Robert Francis Prevost, resurfaced and were widely shared on social media Thursday, showing him criticizing President Donald Trump and his politics on multiple occasions in recent years, suggesting a left-leaning political stance.
Pope Leo XIV appears at the central Loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to greet faithful crowding St. … More
Key Facts
In the most recent tweet reposted to an account belonging to “Robert Prevost,” Catholic writer Rocco Palmo criticized Trump for refusing to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the U.S. after he was wrongly deported to El Salvador in March.
The account also recently posted a National Catholic Reporter article contesting Vice President JD Vance’s interpretation that the Bible suggests a hierarchy in who a person chooses to love: “JD Vance is wrong,” the Prevost account wrote.
Other tweets criticized Trump immigration policies and rhetoric, including one repost that denounced Trump’s use of the phrase “bad hombres” to refer to undocumented migrants who commit crimes.
Tweets on the account condemned Trump for his 2017 Muslim ban and his policy of separating children from their undocumented parents.
Forbes could not independently verify the account’s authenticity.
Tangent
Trump congratulated Leo XIV on Truth Social on Thursday, writing that it is “such an honor” that he’s the first American pope. “I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!” Trump wrote. Trump drew criticism in the wake of Pope Francis’ death when he posted an image created by artificial intelligence that showed him dressed as the pope. Trump, who attended Francis’ funeral, dismissed the image as a joke. Vance was one of the last people to meet with Francis, less than 24 hours before his death on April 21.
Key Background
Prevost, now known as Leo XIV, was elected Thursday after just four ballots on the second day of the papal conclave, more than two weeks after Pope Francis died. He is considered more of a centrist than Francis, who was seen as more progressive and championed inclusion. Born in Chicago, Leo XIV attended Villanova University and was ordained in 1982. He spent most of his career in Peru and became a cardinal in 2023.
Further Reading
Who Is Robert Francis Prevost? What We Know About Pope Leo XIV—The First American Pope. (Forbes)
First American Pope Named: Trump, Rubio Congratulate Robert Francis Prevost On Election As Pope Leo XIV (Live Updates) (Forbes)
Pope Betting Odds: Parolin Surges As White Smoke Signals Conclave Ends (Updated) (Forbes)
