‘JD Vance is wrong’ – the new American Pope is on social media and here is what he thinks of MAGA

It marks the very first US pontiff out of 267 popes in history, although the first, St Peter, predates the discovery of America by some 1,450 years.

There were fears within some of a return to a more conservative Catholic Church following the death of Pope Francis. However, Pope Leo, who spent two decades in Peru, is expected to follow in the footsteps of his more left-leaning predecessor.

Pope Leo is not afraid to voice his opinion on societal issues, especially when it comes to his homeland, the US.

Here is what he has been tweeting and retweeting about the conservative right-leaning US administration since it took office in January.

His most recent retweet, on April 14, centres around Trump’s “illicit deportation” of a US resident, retweeting a tweet about a Catholic Standard article.

The article by Bishop Evelio Menjivar compares the ordeal of immigrants to the passion of Christ.

It states: “As with Jesus in the Garden and after His arrest, this suffering includes not only the abuse inflicted upon migrants and refugees by the government, but the lack of noticeable support by people they considered to be friends.”

The retweet, which doesn’t include any words from Prevost but those of another account, says “Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?”

He also reposted an article from the National Catholic Reporter which was critical of US vice president JD Vance and his interpretation of the Bible, under the headline: “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”

The new pope’s account also appears to have reposted comments in the past criticising the child separation immigration policies of President Trump’s first term.

In 2018, then Cardinal Prevost retweet a tweet from Cardinal Cupich that said: “There is nothing remotely Christian, American, or morally defensible about a policy that takes children away from their parents and warehouses them in cages.”

“This is being carried out in our name and the shame is on all of us,” the tweet added.

Despite the sharp criticisms of both President Trump and JD Vance, both the president and vice-president still congratulated the new pontiff.

President Trump said: “To have the Pope from America is a great honour.”

While JD Vance said: “Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election! I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him.”

Additionally, Pope Leo XIV retweeted a tweet by Democrat Senator Chris Murphy, who has been vociferous in opposition to Trump, calling for more gun control.

A number of other Republican Government officials and close allies of Trump have also congratulated the first American pope.

House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on social media: “May God bless the first American papacy in these historic days.”

While Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Catholic, also chimed in, describing it as “a moment of profound significance” for the Catholic Church, which he said is “offering renewed hope and continuity amid the 2025 Jubilee Year to over a billion faithful worldwide”.

“The United States looks forward to deepening our enduring relationship with the Holy See with the first American pontiff.”

Pope Leo XIV is a dual citizen of the United States and Peru, where he first served as a missionary and then as an archbishop.

That made him the first pope from each country.

Born in Chicago in 1955, Prevost has held Peruvian nationality since 2015, Peru’s national register agency confirmed Thursday.

In 2014, he served as the administrator and later archbishop of Chiclayo and remained in that position until Francis summoned him to Rome in 2023 to serve as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church.