Catholic cardinals on Thursday elected a brand new pope—and it is not Donald Trump.
After Pope Francis died, Trump joked that he would “wish 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 the church as they mourned Francis and awaited a call on who would fill the highly effective place subsequent.
“This is deeply offensive to Catholics especially during this sacred time that we are still mourning the death of Pope Francis and praying for the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the election of our new Pope. He owes an apology,” Thomas Paprocki, bishop of Springfield, Illinois, wrote in a put up on X.
After all 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 best foot with the brand new chief of the Roman Catholic Church.
Trump congratulated Prevost—who will likely be referred to as Pope Leo XIV—in a Fact Social put up.
“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope,” Trump wrote. “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. 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!”
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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 stated Trump was “not Christian” if he wished to construct a wall between the USA and Mexico.
In 2017, Francis doubled down on that stance.
“In the social and civil context as well, I appeal not to create walls but to build bridges,” the pope stated at an occasion. “To not respond to evil with evil. To defeat evil with good, the offense with forgiveness. A Christian would never say ‘you will pay for that.’ Never.”
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 much contempt is stirred up at times towards the vulnerable, the marginalized and migrants,” Francis wrote in his Easter message that was delivered by someone else, as a very ill Francis died the next morning. “On this day, I would like all of us to hope anew and to revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves, or who come from distant lands, bringing unfamiliar customs, ways of life and ideas! For all of us are children of God!” the pope proclaimed.
It seems 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 vice chairman’s feedback about protectionism and the therapy of immigrants.
“JD Vance is wrong: 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 reality, he’s repeatedly been important of Trump and Vance on social media.
Trump, for his half, by no means stated who he wished to be pope out of the listing of males rumored to have been in rivalry.
When requested by reporters on the White Home, Trump stated he had “no preference” 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 most effective 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 international nations.
Canadians and Australians each voted towards 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 Get together to a shocking defeat and misplaced his parliament seat as nicely.
