BREAKING: MAGA world melts down as the Catholic Church elects American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost to become Pope Leo XIV — a man who has slammed Donald Trump and J.D. Vance in the past.
Republicans wanted a far-right pope and instead they got a continuation of Pope Francis' legacy...
In February, then-Cardinal Prevost shared a piece on X entitled "JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others" in which the author pushed back on Vance's claim that Christians should love their family first, then their neighbor, then their community, then their fellow citizens, then the rest of the world.
Vance was attempting to twist Catholic theology to defend his virulent anti-migrant views by suggesting that Christians don't have to prioritize care for anyone beyond their immediate familial circle.
The then-Cardinal also retweeted a message slamming Trump and El Salvadoran Dictator Nayib Bukele for the "illicit" deportation of innocent Maryland father Kilmar Abrego Garcia and the "suffering" caused by MAGA deportation policy.
On top of that, he shared an article from the conservative American Cardinal Timothy Dalton entitled "Why Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is so problematic" which condemned the "nativism" espoused by the MAGA movement. The piece also stated that Christians should see "the immigrant as a gift to our nation" and "welcome the stranger."
Pope Leo XIV is expected to carry on his predecessor's legacy of advocating for action on climate action, upholding social justice, and caring for the global poor. In other words, he will stand for everything that MAGA opposes.
Trump himself has already reacted to the announcement with a pro forma congratulations message on Truth Social that was likely written by a staffer.
"Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope," wrote Trump's account. "What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!"
Once Trump gets a better sense of Pope Leo XIV's beliefs — namely that Christians are called to love and care for all of the people of the world, not just white conservatives — the president will likely be singing a very different tune. If and when that attack comes, we will proudly stand with Pope Leo's love and kindness against Trump's hatred and cruelty.
