A first American pope … in contrast to Trump

To everyone’s surprise, the cardinals elected an American as a new pope on Thursday. If Donald Trump seems to see a new proof of the influence of the United States, experts believe rather that this election sends a clear message of opposition to its policies.

After a short conclave which started Wednesday afternoon, at least two thirds of the 133 cardinals gathered to elect a new sovereign pontiff set their sights on Robert Francis Prevost, 69, who chose the name of Léon XIV to exercise his new functions.

Cardinal fact in 2023, the church man from Chicago was not one of the favorites, according to professor Solange Lefebvre from the Institute of Religious Studies at the University of Montreal.

“No one expected an American, so we hadn’t seen him coming much. The whole world is confused, but it is part of the fringe that criticizes Trump’s policies, especially in relation to immigration. ”

The President of the United States praised the election of the new Pope, boasting that it is a “great honor” for the United States and that he was eager to meet the new elected official.

Trump published on May 2 an image generated by artificial intelligence where we see him dressed in papal clothes, barely a week after having made the trip to Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis. His vice-president, JD Vance, had the last official meeting of the pontiff before his death.

Trump’s criticism

For her part, Professor Catherine Apoisy, of the Department of Religious Sciences of UQAM, believes that the positions of the new Pope, in continuity with her predecessor on social, immigration and ecology issues, “weighed heavy in the balance”, more than his origins.

“I think that from the point of view of the Cardinalist college, it is also a clear sign […] Like what the Vatican will not be at the trailer of the Trump administration, “she said in an interview at TVA Nouvelles.

In the last months, the one that is now called Leon XIV openly criticized the positions of JD Vance and Donald Trump on social networks, especially in connection with the expulsion of migrants.

“As he has been in Latin America for a long time, he is probably very sensitive to the way in which these populations are abused in the United States,” said the journalist specializing in religious questions for the Presence agency, François Gloutney.

He adds that Léon XIV should therefore be considered the “second Pope in America” ​​rather than the first from the United States.

He did not give any word in English during his first speech on the balcony of the Saint-Pierre Basilica, before an imposing flowerbed of faithful.

“I would go so far as to say that it may be a little wink to Donald Trump not to speak in English in his speech,” adds the chronicler in religious news Alain Pronkin.

Peace for all

Léon XIV called for peace and unity in his first address at the 1.4 billion Catholic faithful.

“Help us too, then each other, to build bridges by dialogue, by meeting, uniting us all to be a single people, still in peace,” he launched to the gathered crowd.

He also said that he wanted to continue the vocation of “Synodality of the Church”, that is to say equality for everyone and to enhance the difference, which was dear to the heart of his predecessor, François.

All experts consulted by The newspaper Again to say that Robert Francis Prevost’s decision to be called Leon XIV is nothing chance.

“Léon XIII stood out for several social justice reforms at 19^e century. Among other things, he opposed Marxism, but also to wild capitalism. [Le nouveau pape] probably wants to be in the same line, ”continues Mr.^me Lefebvre.