Not habemus papam, but we have a pope. For the first time in history, an American was elected to the head of the Catholic Church, although it is necessary to honestly admit that with strong connections with South America, Cardinal Robert Prevosta, who took the name Leon XIV.
This is a unique name, because referring to Leon XIII, 19th century. Pope of the Reformer, whose pontificate fell on difficult times of social changes. Today, the world is changing drastically again, even thanks to the policy of Donald Trump. Exactly. What will this relationship look like? The American and Donald Trump?
At the outset, it is worth noting that although Leon XIV comes from the USA (he was born in Chicago), he spent most of his life outside the country, primarily in Peru, of which he is also a citizen. Also in this country he was the bishop's office, exactly in Chiclayo. So you can risk the thesis that the Cardinal from South America became the Pope again, because although he was born in this northern, he is definitely closer to Rio de Janeiro or Buenos Aires than to Miami.
However, this does not change the fact that he is a “boy” born and brought up in Chicago, and therefore an American of flesh and blood, who, despite years of separation, is still close to relations with his homeland, and above all, American politics still lives in it, which he never hid as a cardinal.
Trump clamps, but can he enjoy it?
Shortly after the appearance of Leon XIV on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, euphoria broke out among the magician. Donald Trump himself described this choice with a great honor for the United States and assured that he could not wait to meet the new Holy Father.
The question is, do Donald Trump, and even more so his supporters, have something to celebrate? The election of a new pope takes place at an extremely difficult moment for the world, when another conflict breaks out again and political tensions (also fueled before the successor George Washington) are constantly growing. Here the hint is the very name of the new bishop of Rome – Leon XIV. This is a direct reference to Leon XIII, a pope, who also stood in the face of drastic social and political changes.
Being a cardinal, Prevost for years made available on Twitter, and later also on X posts on political issues, including criticism of Trump's administration.
In February, the current Pope published an article of the National Catholic Reporter, in which he criticized the answer of vice president JD Vance to the question about immigration.
Jd Vance is Wrong: Jesus Doesn't Ask Us to Rank Our Love for Others https://t.co/hdkpkumxmu via @Ncronline
– Robert Prevost (@dRPrevost) February 3, 2025
In turn, his latest repost is the entry directly criticizing Donald Trump and President Salvador. It refers to the deportation of Kilmar Abry Garcia, which was called “illegal”. The author also asks in the post: “Do you not see suffering? Is your conscience not moved? How can you keep silence?”
This is just one of many cases. Prevost has been sharing statements for years in which he is in favor of stronger support for migrants. Many of his posts are consistent with Franciszek's positions, who criticized the views of the Trump administration on immigration, including family separation policy.
Criticism of Leon XIV regarding the US president, however, reaches much further. In 2015, when Trump was still a candidate in the primaries of the Republican party, he again published an article by Cardinal Timothy Dolana entitled “Why Donald Trump's anti -immigration rhetoric is so problematic.”
The American Pope, but the weapon is not a holiness for him
After a mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017, in which 58 people were killed, Prevost made public a statement calling for “increased access to psychiatric care and stronger, reasonable regulations regarding weapon control.”
He also shared the views of the democratic senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut criticizing political inaction in terms of weapon security:
“Your cowardice cannot be whiten with thoughts and prayers.”
God, and the emperor, the imperial
According to voting registers made available, CBS News Prevost is registered to voters in the suburbs of Chicago. He voted in at least nine universal elections, including in 2024. He also took part in the primaries, both republican and democratic. He voted in republican primases in 2012, 2014 and 2016, including in the presidential primaries in 2012 and 2016, and in democratic in 2008 and 2010.
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