Catholic cardinals on Thursday elected a brand new pope—and it isn’t Donald Trump.
After Pope Francis died, Trump joked that he would “prefer to be pope,” and even posted an AI-generated picture of himself wearing papal garb.
Trump’s feedback angered Catholics, who demanded an apology from Trump for making a joke of a tragic and solemn second for his or her church as they mourned Francis and awaited a choice on who would fill the highly effective place subsequent.
“That is deeply offensive to Catholics particularly throughout this sacred time that we’re nonetheless mourning the dying of Pope Francis and praying for the steerage of the Holy Spirit for the election of our new Pope. He owes an apology,” Thomas Paprocki, bishop of Springfield, Illinois, wrote in a submit on X.
In fact the non-Catholic Trump was by no means going to be pope, however that didn’t cease his most devoted sycophants—together with Sens. Lindsey Graham and Mike Lee— from touting him as a candidate for the subsequent supreme pontiff.
Now that Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago has been chosen as the primary American pope in historical past, the least Trump may do is attempt to get off on the precise foot with the brand new chief of the Roman Catholic Church.
Trump congratulated Prevost—who can be often called Pope Leo XIV—in a Reality Social submit.
“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was simply named Pope,” Trump wrote. “It’s such an honor to comprehend that he’s the primary American Pope. What pleasure, and what a Nice Honor for our Nation. I look ahead to assembly Pope Leo XIV. Will probably be a really significant second!”
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Trump and the late Pope Francis did not have a superb relationship.
In 2016, when Trump was first operating for workplace, Francis mentioned Trump was “not Christian” if he wished to construct a wall between the USA and Mexico.
In 2017, Francis doubled down on that stance.
“Within the social and civil context as properly, I attraction to not create partitions however to construct bridges,” the pope mentioned at an occasion. “To not reply to evil with evil. To defeat evil with good, the offense with forgiveness. A Christian would by no means say ‘you’ll pay for that.’ By no means.”
Upon Trump’s unlucky return to the White Home, Francis as soon as once more slammed his immigration coverage, and even dressed down Vice President JD Vance within the final moments of his life.
“How a lot contempt is stirred up at instances in direction of the susceptible, the marginalized and migrants,” Francis wrote in his Easter message that was delivered by another person, as a really in poor health Francis died the subsequent morning. “On at the present time, I would really like all of us to hope anew and to revive our belief in others, together with those that are totally different than ourselves, or who come from distant lands, bringing unfamiliar customs, methods of life and concepts! For all of us are youngsters of God!” the pope proclaimed.
It appears to be like just like the Trump administration will even have some work to do with the newly minted pope.
Leo XIV posted an article to X about Vance and criticized the vp’s feedback about protectionism and the remedy of immigrants.
“JD Vance is unsuitable: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others,” Leo XIV wrote, quoting the headline from the article.
Leo XIV additionally retweeted an article that criticized Trump’s choice to deport immigrants to a infamous Salvadoran jail. In truth, he’s repeatedly been vital of Trump and Vance on social media.
Trump, for his half, by no means mentioned who he wished to be pope out of the record of males rumored to have been in competition.
When requested by reporters on the White Home, Trump mentioned he had “no desire” for who the pope must be, however did tout Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who serves as Archbishop of New York.
However perhaps it was for the perfect that Trump didn’t weigh in on any of the highest contenders, because the president has confirmed to be an issue for aspiring leaders of overseas nations.
Canadians and Australians each voted in opposition to the conservative events in current elections, at the same time as their far-right politicians embraced Trump.
For instance Peter Dutton, the chief of Australia’s center-right occasion who had even adopted a few of Trump’s anti-woke rhetoric, not solely noticed his occasion get drubbed on the poll field however misplaced his personal seat in parliament.
The exact same factor occurred to Canada’s Pierre Poilievre, who led Canada’s Conservative Social gathering to a shocking defeat and misplaced his parliament seat as properly.
