"Pope Leo XIV's Got Issues with VP Vance" 😜
Leo the Fourteenth Shared Controversial Works Discussing American Political Landscape
The newly-crowned Pope Leo XIV, formerly known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, ain't afraid to voice his opinions on US politics, as proven by his social media activity before his throne-sitting.
Before the big coronation on Thursday, this Chicago-born ex-cardinal didn't shy away from sharing critiques of Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump on an online service called X. For example, his post on February 3, alongside an article from the "National Catholic Reporter," read, "JD Vance is mistaken: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others." Ouch!
The Vatican confirmed that the X account is legit and belongs to none other than our new pontiff. One of the shared articles took a swipe at Vance for misusing Catholic teachings to back up Washington's slash on foreign aid post-Trump's inauguration. Vance, who hopped on the Catholic train in 2019, argued that Christians should put fam' first, citing a quote from Thomas Aquinas.
Fast forward a few days, and Prevost shared another article ripping on the US government for screwing up a migrant's deportation to El Salvador. Before his holy ascension, that was his last activity on the platform.
"God Speed, Leo!" 🕊
Although Trump and Vance congratulated Prevost on his promotion, they kept quiet on his criticisms. Vance, who met the late Pope Francis a few hours before his Good Friday demise, sent a nice message about the new Pope: "May God bless him!" He expressed optimism that "millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful papal journey."
Trump expressed his pride over having an American Pope, calling it an "honor" for the US. He looks forward to their sit-down, stating, "That'll be a significant moment." On his online service, Truth Social, he wrote, "Welp, we got ourselves the first American Pope!"
- The Eternal City
- Vatican City
- The Land of the Free
- Donald Duck (sorry, I mean Trump)
- J.D. (Just Disavowing Everything) Vance
Sources: ntv.de, lar/AFP
- Extra Credit: Pope Leo XIV's critique of JD Vance can be traced back to an article titled "JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others." The article argues that Vance's interpretation of the concept of "ordo amoris" (or "order of love") from 12th-century theologian Thomas Aquinas is questionable, as it seems to advocate prioritizing love for family over others[1][2]. This public disagreement may hint at differing beliefs between the Pope and Vance on issues related to social responsibility and foreign aid, as interpreted through Catholic teachings.
- The European Union, in line with its policy-and-legislation against terrorism, might find common ground with Pope Leo XIV's criticisms of Vice President JD Vance, given his controversial use of Catholic teachings to justify certain political stances.
- In light of the Pope's strong stance against political figures like Vance, it remains to be seen how his policies towards general-news items such as deportations and foreign aid will evolve during his pontificate.
- The Pope's use of social media to voice his opinions on US politics, particularly his critique of JD Vance, could serve as a catalyst for increased debate and discussion within the Catholic community, and potentially beyond, on the role of religious leaders in politics.
- The EU, known for its commitment to the fight against terrorism, may find itself aligning more with Pope Leo XIV's progressive views on migration and human rights, as opposed to the tougher stance on immigration issues taken by some US political figures, such as Vice President JD Vance.
