President Donald Trump congratulated Pope Leo XIV on being chosen to lead the Catholic Church on Thursday.
In a post to Truth Social, Trump called former Cardinal Robert Prevost's elevation to the role a "great honor" and marveled at the papal conclave's selection of the first American pope in history.
"Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope," he wrote. "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!"
Leo is just the second pope in history to hail from the Americas. His immediate predecessor, Pope Francis, was originally from Argentina. And that's not the only way that Leo appears poised to follow in Francis' footsteps. Like the former church leader, he has been critical of the Trump administration's treatment of migrants.
On social media, Leo has repeatedly shared articles taking Trump and Catholic convert Vice President JD Vance to task for their deportation program. Earlier this year, he shared multiple articles challenging Vance's belief in "ordo amoris," the idea that it is spiritually correct to prioritize love for God and immediate family over love for the rest of mankind.
"It's a framework that makes sense in a world governed by scarcity and fear, where protection comes at the expense of others. But Jesus never speaks of love as something to be rationed," an essay from the National Catholic Reporter shared by Leo states. "He speaks of love as abundance — a table where there is enough for everyone."
His most recent repost on X was an article from Bishop Evelio Menjivar of Washington, D.C, that asked officials working in the Trump administration to "reclaim [their] conscience" and oppose ongoing deportations and detentions of migrants.
Vance shared a post from the official White House account congratulating Leo before adding a statement of his own.
"Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election! I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church," he wrote on X. "May God bless him!"
