It is scheduled that Pope Leo will take the oath of office, becoming the first American to hold the office.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was born in Chicago, was sworn in on May 8 and chose to use the name Pope Leo XIV. Ten days later, he will be sworn in as the 267th pope.
Pope Leo hasn’t avoided politics, much like his predecessor Pope Francis, who died last month at the age of 88.
From the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, he proclaimed to the crowd below him during his first Sunday midday blessing as pope on May 11: “Never again war.”
He praised the ceasefire agreement achieved between India and Pakistan and demanded a fair and sustainable peace in Ukraine as well as an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, together with the release of captives and the provision of humanitarian aid.
But that’s international politics. Both during his first and current terms, the 69-year-old has been outspoken about President Donald Trump’s domestic policies.
Let’s explore them.
Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, denounced Trump-era immigration policies in a 2018 thread, stating they were “nothing remotely Christian” and condemned the separation of families. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, similarly criticized Trump’s rhetoric in a 2015 Washington Post op-ed, which Pope Leo shared widely. Recently, Catholic commentator Rocco Palmo spotlighted Auxiliary Bishop Evelio’s emotional appeal against mass deportations, asking, “Do you not see the suffering?” Palmo also highlighted Cardinal Cupich’s 2017 article denouncing refugee bans as a “dark hour” in U.S. history. These Catholic leaders consistently challenge immigration stances they believe betray American and Christian values
