Pope Leo XIV dropped a loaded one-word message for the United States — and with his history of criticizing the Trump administration, the pontiff may not be done yet.
As the newly elected, Chicago-born pope walked through a Vatican crowd Monday, NewsNation foreign correspondent Robert Sherman lobbed a quick question: “Any message for the United States?”
“Many,” the pope replied with a smile. After a pause, he added, “God bless you all.”
The clip quickly lit up social media, with some interpreting “many” as a not-so-subtle dig — particularly in light of Leo’s documented wariness of President Donald Trump and his policies.
While the new pontiff hasn’t addressed Trump directly since his election last week, his track record speaks volumes.
As a cardinal, Leo XIV criticized Trump and Vice President JD Vance on his social media account on issues ranging from immigration and Catholic doctrine.
Just months ago, Leo shared an article after Pope Francis’s rebuke of Vance’s attempt at a religious argument for deportations: “JD Vance Is Wrong: Jesus Doesn’t Ask Us To Rank Our Love For Others.”
His most recent post, on April 14, was a repost of Catholic blogger Rocco Palmo, who denounced the White House’s “illicit deportation of a US resident,” Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and quoted Bishop Evelio Menjivar: “Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?”
Going back further, to 2015, the
Monday’s remark came just before Leo delivered a sweeping address to the international press, urging journalists to protect “the precious gift of free speech and the press” and to “disarm communication of all prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and even hatred.”
“We do not need loud, forceful communication,” he said, “but rather communication that is capable of listening and of gathering the voices of the weak who have no voice.”
Watch above via NewsNation.