Article Summary
Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected Pope, is a registered Republican from Illinois who has a history of voting in Republican primaries. He has been known to be pro-life and ran a pro-life group at Villanova University. He has expressed opposition to some of the immigration enforcement actions taken by the Trump administration in the past.
What This Means for You
- Be aware of Pope Leo XIV’s political affiliations and his stance on certain issues such as abortion and immigration.
- Consider the potential impact of his election on the Catholic Church’s stance on these issues.
- Stay informed on how Pope Leo XIV’s past actions and opinions may influence his decisions as Pope.
- Keep an eye out for any changes in the Church’s policies on immigration and other relevant issues.
Original Post
The newly elected Pope Leo XIV hails from Illinois, where he is registered to vote and therefore has a record of the elections in which he cast a ballot.
Turning Point USA president Charlie Kirk posted Thursday on social media platform X, shortly after Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elevated to pope, “He’s a registered Republican who has voted in Republican primaries when not living abroad.”
“Our data shows he’s a strong Republican, and he’s pro-life,” he added.
Based on the images Kirk posted, Pope Leo XIV voted in last fall’s general election, though not in 2016’s or 2020’s. He did vote in 2016’s Republican primary.
Kirk elaborated in a video posted to social media that the pope ran a pro-life group at Villanova University.
“Overall, it seems like he’s a pro-life warrior. There’s a lot yet to learn about this pope, but I hope that he will be a strong advocate for strong borders and for sovereignty,” he said.
While a cardinal, Prevost made some posts on X in opposition to some of the immigration enforcement actions that the Trump administration has taken.
For example, he reposted a Catholic commentator’s April 14 post that criticized a White House meeting in which the subject of a Salvadoran deportee was raised, saying “Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?”
The post was referring to El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s Oval Office meeting with Trump last month, during which Bukele said he had no intention of returning Salvadoran citizen Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported to his home country in March.
When questioned by CNN’s Kaitlin Collins concerning the matter, Bukele responded, “I suppose you’re not suggesting that I smuggle a terrorist into the United States. Right? How can I return him to the United States? … I’m not going to do it.”
The Trump administration has argued that Abrego Garcia is an MS-13 member, engaged in human trafficking, and battered his wife.
Prevost also posted a 2015 story written by then-New York Archbishop (now Cardinal) Timothy Dolan, critical of the way Trump spoke about illegal immigrants.
In February, Prevost called out Vice President J.D. Vance for saying a Christian’s first priority should be to protect his family over “the rest of the world.”
The then-cardinal wrote, “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”
So Pope Leo XIV clearly has some differences with the Trump administration on immigration.
Key Terms
- Pope Leo XIV
- Registered Republican
- Pro-life
- Immigration
- Trump administration
ORIGINAL SOURCE:
Source link
