This is what Pope Leo XIV has posted about politics — and the Trump administration — on social media

For the primary time in historical past, an American was chosen to guide the Catholic Church, as cardinals on Thursday chosen Pope Leo XIV — or Cardinal Robert Prevost, a Chicago native — as the brand new pontiff.

The shock transfer comes at a time of political rigidity in america. Hints as to what postures Pope Leo XIV may tackle controversial points could come from his exercise on social media over the previous a number of years.

As a cardinal, Prevost shared posts on X about political points for years, together with criticism of the Trump administration’s stances on immigration.

President Trump on Thursday congratulated Leo, writing on social media that it was “a Nice Honor for our Nation” and including that “I look ahead to assembly” him.

New pope shared criticism of JD Vance — and Trump’s immigration insurance policies

In February, the now-pope shared a Nationwide Catholic Reporter article that criticized Vice President JD Vance’s response to a query on immigration. Vance is Catholic convert who met with Pope Francis final month, simply sooner or later earlier than Francis’ demise.

In an interview, Vance had mentioned Christian teachings advocate for prioritizing love, first for household, then neighbors, neighborhood, fellow residents, and lastly, the world.

Prevost quoted the article’s headline: “JD Vance is unsuitable: Jesus would not ask us to rank our love for others.”

His most up-to-date repost, in April, shared commentary from a Catholic author on Mr. Trump’s assembly with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. The submit known as the deportation of Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador “illicit” and requested: “Do you not see the struggling? Is your conscience not disturbed? How are you going to keep quiet?”

The federal authorities has acknowledged that Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported and detained in a Salvadoran jail, however the White Home has not returned him to the U.S., regardless of a determination from the Supreme Court docket which known as for it to facilitate his return.

Prevost shared statements for years advocating for stronger assist for migrants. Lots of his posts align with the positions of the U.S. Convention of Catholic Bishops and Francis, who criticized the Trump administration’s views on immigration.

In 2018, he reposted Cardinal Blase Cupich’s criticism of the Trump administration’s household separation coverage throughout Mr. Trump’s first time period.

In 2017, he reposted a California Catholic Convention assertion opposing the administration’s stance on the Deferred Motion for Childhood Arrivals immigration coverage, or DACA, which permits immigrants who got here to the U.S. illegally as minors to reside and work right here.

In 2015, when Mr. Trump was nonetheless a Republican major candidate, he reposted an article by Cardinal Timothy Dolan titled, “Why Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is so problematic.”

Leo has additionally posted on gun management and abortion

Following the 2017 mass capturing in Las Vegas which killed 58 folks, Prevost reposted an announcement from Cupich calling for “elevated entry to psychological well being care and stronger, wise gun management legal guidelines.”

He additionally shared an announcement from Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut criticizing political inaction on gun security that learn partially, “Your cowardice to behave can’t be whitewashed by ideas and prayers.”

He has additionally shared statements criticizing abortion. Following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, he reposted an article from the Catholic Information Company headlined: “Clinton ignored pro-lifers at her personal peril, Democrats say.”

That December, he additionally shared an article from a Peruvian newspaper that criticized “gender ideology.” The now-pope served as a bishop in Peru for a number of years and is a Peruvian citizen.

In accordance with the LGBTQ media advocacy group GLAAD, “gender ideology is just not a time period transgender folks use to explain themselves, it’s an inaccurate time period deployed by opponents to undermine and dehumanize transgender and nonbinary folks.”

Pope Leo’s voting information

In accordance with voting information shared with CBS Information and knowledge from the Illinois State Board of Elections, Prevost is registered to vote within the Chicago suburb of New Lenox, Illinois. He has voted in at the very least 9 basic elections, together with in 2024, but it surely was unknown which get together he voted for.

He has additionally voted in each Republican and Democratic primaries over time. He voted within the Republican primaries in 2012, 2014 and 2016, together with the presidential primaries in 2012 and 2016. He final voted in a Democratic major in 2010. He had additionally voted within the get together’s presidential major in 2008. 

Pope’s views on social media

In a 2023 interview with Vatican Information, the now-pope was requested concerning the relationship between bishops and social media. 

“Social media might be an essential software to speak the Gospel message reaching thousands and thousands of individuals. We should put together ourselves to make use of social media properly,” he mentioned. “I’m afraid that typically this preparation has been missing.”

“On the identical time, the world immediately, which is continually altering, presents conditions the place we actually must suppose a number of occasions earlier than talking or earlier than writing a message on Twitter, to be able to reply and even simply to ask questions in a public kind, in full view of everybody. Typically there’s a danger of fuelling divisions and controversy,” he continued.

“There’s a nice duty to make use of social networks, communication, appropriately, as a result of it is a chance, however additionally it is a danger. And it could actually do harm to the communion of the Church. That’s the reason one should be very prudent in using these means.”

contributed to this report.