- Pope Leo XIV had a short message for the US when asked
- New Pope already has form for criticising the US government
- Some Republicans have criticised the Pope
New Pope Leo XIV has already made an impression around the world since he took over, and he has shown again he is prepared to speak his mind when asked.
Pope Leo XIV, the first American to hold the most prestigious position in the Catholic Church, was elected by the Conclave last week, following the death of Pope Francis.
Since then, the new Pope has been forthright in his opinions and called for peace in the world at his first mass.
Now, he has shown again that he is not one to mince his words. A reporter asked Pope Leo XIV if he had “any message to the United States?” The Holy Father answered with just one word: “Many.”
As an object lesson in saying so much by saying so little, this is one of the best. While Pope Leo doesn’t mention anyone in particular, which means it is open to interpretation, it has been construed by many commentators as a subtle message to President Donald Trump and the US government.
Papal beef
Pope Leo XIV already has form for criticising the current regime in the US. In February, back when he was still Cardinal Robert Prevost, he took to X (which everyone still calls Twitter) to call out vice-president JD Vance, who had been vocal in his stance on migrants and deporting people from the country.
He wrote: “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the new Pope has already drawn scorn from some of those close to President trump. Laura Loomer, who has been an adviser to Trump, for instance, said on X that the new Pope was: “anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro-open Borders, and a total Marxist like Pope Francis.”
Internet reacts to Pope Leo XIV message
Of course, the internet has had its say on the short-but-to-the-point exchange, with many taking the side of the Pope.
One X user noted: “The Catholic Church v The Trump Regime was not on my bingo card.”
Another said: “It sounds like the kindest warning.”
A third said: “this is the kind of thing a guy says before he hits you with an apostolic letter exclusively using the papal We.”
If you want to find out more about who Pope Leo XIV is, then here is all we know.
