The world has a new pope, and for the first time ever, he is from the United States.Robert Prevost, a cardinal who grew up in Chicago, graduated from Villanova, and spent much of his career preaching in Peru, was ordained as Pope Leo XIV on Thursday.He was previously the head of the office within the Vatican that oversaw the appointment of bishops worldwide across the Catholic Church prior to being named pope.It is an unexpected boost in influence on the world stage for the United States, which has been undergoing a period of retreat from global alliances under the past few months under President Donald Trump’s self-described “America first” policies.”Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope,” wrote Trump on Truth Social on Thursday. “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. 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!”Vice President JD Vance, who is himself Catholic, also congratulated Prevost on becoming Pope.”Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election!” wrote Vance on Thursday on X. “I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!”Despite Trump’s interest in eventually speaking with the new Pope, the two do not appear to have directly communicated with one another yet. However, Prevost has previously not been shy about sharing criticism of Trump and Vance on social media when it comes to the administration’s stances on immigration.The most recent came just last month in April, when Prevost reposted a post on X that the original poster asked in part, “Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?” in reference to the Trump administration’s plans to send migrants to prisons in El Salvador.Before that, Prevost only posted four other times this year, and was not active at all on the account in 2024.Two of Prevost’s posts this spring related to the health of Pope Francis, which urged people to pray for his continued recovery in the days leading up to his death.Meanwhile, in his other two posts this year, Prevost twice criticized Vance’s belief in “ordo amoris,” a disputed theological doctrine believed in by some Catholics that maintains there is a hierarchy for which believers are called to share their love with others.The doctrine, which originates from the Catholic Church, but is not universally accepted, calls for certain people — such as one’s family members — to be prioritized for being shown love and compassion over others — such as one’s neighbors.Vance used the doctrine to provide a moral basis for the Trump administration’s immigration policy.On Fox News, Vance told viewers, “You love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country. And then after that, you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world.” He went on to say that the “far left” has inverted that.Soon after the interview, on Feb. 3, Prevost attached an article to the National Catholic Reporter, and shared its headline in the text of the post, which read, “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”He later followed it up on Feb. 13 with an article from America Magazine, which was titled, “Pope Francis’ letter, JD Vance’s ‘ordo amoris’ and what the Gospel asks of all of us on immigration.”Much is still yet to be seen about how the relationship between the new pope and the Trump administration will ultimately develop and whether it will be warmer than that which the administration had with the Vatican under Pope Francis. Both during Trump’s first term, as well as the first few months of his second, Pope Francis repeatedly called out the administration’s immigration policies, labeling them as inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible.“Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups,” wrote Pope Francis in a letter in February. “The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan,’ that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.”Regardless, an American pope remains a massive recognition for American Catholics, who make up approximately 20% of the U.S. population. The influence of Catholicism within the U.S. has long been less significant than in other parts of the world over the past few centuries, such as Europe and Latin America. The U.S. has only had two Catholic presidents and two Catholic vice presidents in its 248-year history, with Vice President Vance, former President (and Vice President) Joe Biden, and former President John F. Kennedy rounding out the brief list.
The world has a new pope, and for the first time ever, he is from the United States.
Robert Prevost, a cardinal who grew up in Chicago, graduated from Villanova, and spent much of his career preaching in Peru, was ordained as Pope Leo XIV on Thursday.
He was previously the head of the office within the Vatican that oversaw the appointment of bishops worldwide across the Catholic Church prior to being named pope.
It is an unexpected boost in influence on the world stage for the United States, which has been undergoing a period of retreat from global alliances under the past few months under President Donald Trump’s self-described “America first” policies.
“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope,” wrote Trump on Truth Social on Thursday. “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. 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!”
Vice President JD Vance, who is himself Catholic, also congratulated Prevost on becoming Pope.
“Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election!” wrote Vance on Thursday on X. “I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!”
Despite Trump’s interest in eventually speaking with the new Pope, the two do not appear to have directly communicated with one another yet. However, Prevost has previously not been shy about sharing criticism of Trump and Vance on social media when it comes to the administration’s stances on immigration.
The most recent came just last month in April, when Prevost reposted a post on X that the original poster asked in part, “Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?” in reference to the Trump administration’s plans to send migrants to prisons in El Salvador.
Before that, Prevost only posted four other times this year, and was not active at all on the account in 2024.
Two of Prevost’s posts this spring related to the health of Pope Francis, which urged people to pray for his continued recovery in the days leading up to his death.
Meanwhile, in his other two posts this year, Prevost twice criticized Vance’s belief in “ordo amoris,” a disputed theological doctrine believed in by some Catholics that maintains there is a hierarchy for which believers are called to share their love with others.
The doctrine, which originates from the Catholic Church, but is not universally accepted, calls for certain people — such as one’s family members — to be prioritized for being shown love and compassion over others — such as one’s neighbors.
Vance used the doctrine to provide a moral basis for the Trump administration’s immigration policy.
On Fox News, Vance told viewers, “You love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country. And then after that, you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world.” He went on to say that the “far left” has inverted that.
Soon after the interview, on Feb. 3, Prevost attached an article to the National Catholic Reporter, and shared its headline in the text of the post, which read, “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”
He later followed it up on Feb. 13 with an article from America Magazine, which was titled, “Pope Francis’ letter, JD Vance’s ‘ordo amoris’ and what the Gospel asks of all of us on immigration.”
Much is still yet to be seen about how the relationship between the new pope and the Trump administration will ultimately develop and whether it will be warmer than that which the administration had with the Vatican under Pope Francis. Both during Trump’s first term, as well as the first few months of his second, Pope Francis repeatedly called out the administration’s immigration policies, labeling them as inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible.
“Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups,” wrote Pope Francis in a letter in February. “The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan,’ that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.”
Regardless, an American pope remains a massive recognition for American Catholics, who make up approximately 20% of the U.S. population. The influence of Catholicism within the U.S. has long been less significant than in other parts of the world over the past few centuries, such as Europe and Latin America. The U.S. has only had two Catholic presidents and two Catholic vice presidents in its 248-year history, with Vice President Vance, former President (and Vice President) Joe Biden, and former President John F. Kennedy rounding out the brief list.