OLIVE BRANCH
JD Vance makes peace offering to new Pope Leo XIV after ‘anti-MAGA’ tweets as Trump quips ‘Vatican already called me’
The new pope penned a scathing post just months before his election
JD Vance has showered praise on newly-elected Pope Leo XIV - despite the pontiff slamming the vice president and Trump's policies for years.
Robert Prevost, the first American to be named Holy Father, posted articles blasting fellow Catholic Vance just months before the historic conclave.
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Both Vance and Trump have sent their well-wishes to the new leader despite signs of apparent mistrust of their administration.
In a post on X, Vance wrote, "Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election!
"I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!"
And before that, Trump took to Truth Social to say, "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," he wrote.
"It will be a very meaningful moment!"
THE POPE'S CRITICISM
Prevost has kept up an active internet presence over the past decade and has often appeared to share his true thoughts on Donald Trump's second presidency.
His latest repost on X was a critique of Trump's immigration crackdown from Catholic commentator Rocco Palmo.
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In the post, Palmo quoted, "Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?"
And just a few posts before this, Prevost boldly shared a spate of articles questioning statements made by Vance, who converted to Catholicism in his 30s.
New Pope elected as white smoke rises from Conclave’s ritual chimney--
One article was an opinion piece in the with the headline, "JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others."
The article was in response to Vance telling Fox News: "We should love our family first, then our neighbors, then love our community, then our country, and only then consider the interests of the rest of the world."
And the other was an article criticizing Vance after Pope Francis penned a letter to American bishops and encouraged them to support illegal immigrants being targeted by the crackdown.
Prevost's response echoed that of former Pope Francis, who similarly contradicted Vance, , "Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups."
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THE FIRST AMERICAN POPE
On Thursday evening, a crowd of pilgrims let out a triumphant roar of cheers after white smoke billowed from the Vatican, indicating that a new holy leader had been chosen.
Several tense moments later, parishioners looked up in shock as Prevost emerged from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica and said, "Peace be with you."
Prevost, who was born in Chicago, Illinois, has made history as the first American pope.
For the past 250 years of American nationhood, but especially in the post WWII era, Americans were often passed up for the papacy because of the country's established global prominence.
However, Prevost, 69, was a unique choice as he was a naturalized citizen of Peru, where he served as a seminary leader and apostolic administrator.
In recent years, Prevost has become indispensable to the Vatican.
In 2023, Pope Francis hand-selected him to head the office that vets global bishops.
That position elevated him above other cardinals, making him an easier choice.
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'SUCH AN HONOR'
Trump revealed that the Vatican had already called him following Prevost's election and stressed that it was a "great honor" for America to be represented in the papacy.
"To have the Pope from the United States of America, that's a great honor," he told reporters.
"I'm watching it and they say, 'He's from America,' I said, 'That's great!'"
Former President Joe Biden, who is Catholic, also congratulated the new Pope, saying "Habemus papam" - a Latin phrase meaning "We Have a pope" used to announce the election.
The new Pope's speech in full
Here is Leo XIV's speech from the Vatican balcony in full:
Peace be with all of you
Dear brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of Christ resurrected, the good pastor who gave life for the Lord and I would also like this greeting of peace to come into your hearts and join everyone, whoever they are, all peoples on the whole earth, peace be with you.
This is the peace of Christ resurrected, it’s a peace that’s disarming, humble and will also persevere and it comes from God, God who loves all of us unconditionally.
And let us keep hearing even the weak voices and Pope Francis was always courageous and blessed Rome.
The pope that blessed Rome, he is blessing the whole world on that Easter morning. So let us follow up that blessing.
God loves us, God loves all of you, sin will not prevail, we are all in the hands of God.
And at the same time without fear, let us be reunited hand in hand with God and amongst ourselves let’s move forward because we are the disciples of Christ, Christ preceded us, the world needs your light, humanity needs him as a bridge in order to be able to get to God and reach God’s love.
You must also help us and help one another. And we all must be a single peoples.
I would also like to thank all my brother cardinals who have chosen me to be the successor to Peter and to walk together with you as a united church always trying to find peace, justice and always trying to work as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ without fear and also to be missionaries.
I am a son of St Augustin, I am Christian with you and to that extent we can all walk together towards that land that God has prepared us for.
To the church of Rome, I would like to give you a special greeting. Together we must try to find out how to be a church that builds bridges, establishes dialogue, that’s always open to receive on this piazza with open arms to anyone that needs our charity, our presents, dialogue and love.
And I would just like also to say something in Spanish. I particularly like to say hello to my compatriots in Peru
To all of you, brothers and sisters, of Rome, the whole world, we need to be a church that walks a path of peace, that always looks for charity, that is always looking to be close especially to those that are suffering
Today, the day in which we pray to the Madonna of Pompeii, our mother Mary always wants to stay close to us and help us with her love and her intercession.
Let us pray together, this new mission, for the whole church, and for peace throughout the world.
And let’s ask for this special grace for Mary, our mother. Hail Mary
"May God bless Pope Leo XIV of Illinois. Jill and I congratulate him and wish him success," Biden wrote on X.
Meanwhile, staunch Trump supporters have shared their frustrations with the election and fear the Vatican will turn Catholics against the president.
Conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer cried, "He is anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro-open borders, and a total Marxist like Pope Francis.
"Catholics don't have anything good to look forward to."
And another Trump fan said, "As a Catholic, this is tough to celebrate and sad to see."
WHO IS POPE LEO XIV?
Prevost has adopted the name Leo XIV, after that last Leo, the thirteenth, who served from 1878 until his death in 1903.
Leo XIII was a strong supporter of the church in the US, and Prevost appears to be adopting that same position with his chosen name, Catholic author George Weigel told .
"There would be a certain symmetry to a pope, Leo XIV, coming from the United States," Weigel said.
Leo XIII redefined Catholic thinking with his advocacy for workers' rights and belief in trade unions and fair wages.
He used his position to fight for social justice while prioritizing the spiritual health of parishioners.
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In his speech, Prevost voiced his desire for the church to, "find peace, justice and always trying to work as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ without fear and also to be missionaries."
He said, "God loves us, God loves all of you, sin will not prevail, we are all in the hands of God."
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