Follow Live updates on Pope Leo XIV, The first American pontiff.
Months before Cardinal Robert Francis, Prevost became the first American pope, a story of social media under his name expressed his criticism of the vice-president JD Vance, sharing an article which described the interpretation of the vice-president of the Christian doctrine as “evil”.
The room, Posted in the National Catholic Reporterwas a refutation of the interpretation by Mr. Vance of a Catholic education which he had used to defend the expulsion policies of the Trump administration.
The message on X, which the account shared in February, was one of the many who highlighted articles criticizing the Trump administration on immigration.
In April, the account under the name of Cardinal Prevost shared the comments of a Catholic writer who asked if President Trump and President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador saw “suffering” caused by their immigration policies.
“Isn't your awareness disturbed?” An analyst of the Catholic Church, Rocco Palmo, wrote. “How can you remain silent?”
Although the New York Times cannot be independently confirmed if Cardinal Prevost directed the account – or if it was operated by a staff member – the account was connected to a telephone number and an e -mail address that would be linked to it. Almost all the messages, which date from 2011, shared articles, statements and comments made by other church leaders – not by Cardinal himself.
In July 2015, the account republished an article by Cardinal Timothy Mr. Dolan of New York which described the “anti-immigrant rhetoric” by Trump as “problematic”. Three years later, the account shared a post by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich de Chicago, saying that there was “nothing Christian, American or morally defendable” on the policy of the administration to separate the migrant children from their parents.
The account also seemed to contest the abrogation of the TRUMP administration of the delayed action program for children's arrivals, known as DACA, which granted legal status to young adults brought to the country. The account republished the comments of several church leaders attacking the decision of “heartless” and fueling “racism and nativism”.
Mr. Trump's criticism largely resonates the positions of Pope Francis, who also expressed his disagreement with the deportation policies of the administration.
Sometimes the story has died in other controversial areas of American policy. In 2020, he shared a declaration signed by seven American bishops who said that they were “with a broken, sick and indignant heart” by the murder of George Floyd, which they described as a “alarm clock”.
In 2017, the account shared a position by Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut democrat, criticizing the other legislators for refusing to pass the legislation on the control of firearms after the mass shooting of Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Murphy has since become one of the most vocal criticism of the Trump administration.
And several articles have shared articles opposed to the rights of abortion, including one of the Catholic press agency This presented self-identified “pro-life democrats” criticizing Hillary Clinton for having adopted a “extreme pro-abortion platform”.
Only a small fraction of the articles referred to American policy. Many were in Spanish and shared announcements from the Peruvian episcopal conference, the American conference of Catholic bishops and the Vatican. Others have addressed questions of faith and Catholic doctrine or marked special dates for the Order of Saint Augustine, a religious order of men and women who follow the teachings of the 4th century, of which Cardinal PREVOST is a member.
Some were even lighter: an article linked to an article By the service of new Catholics listing the best Christmas films.
The first messages were shared in 2011 and seemed to be updates on Cardinal's travel calendar.
“In Rome, council meetings”, the account published on September 20, 2011.
So far, Mr. Trump does not seem to hold resentments against the Pope for any previous criticism. In his Own post on xThe president said he was looking forward to meeting the new pope.
Mr. Vance, a Catholic convert which met Pope Francis shortly before his death, also sent wishes well afternoon.
“Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American pope, for his elections!” He wrote on social networks. “I am sure that millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his work managed to direct the Church. May God bless him! “
Everyone in Mr. Trump's orbit is not as happy.
Even before the selection of the new Pope, Steve Bannon, one of the president's best allies, who urged the church to adopt a more traditional position, described Cardinal Prevost as “one of the dark horses” to become the next pontiff.
“Unfortunately, he is one of the most progressive,” said Bannon in the interview last week.
Kate Conger Contributed reports.
