Pope Leo XIV, who on Saturday marked six months since his election, has in recent weeks stepped up his criticism of the Trump administration while bringing a distinctively American flavor to the papacy.
The Chicago-born pontiff was elected on May 8, becoming the first US-born pope in the Catholic Church’s history. After a cautious start, Leo has now begun to find his voice and on Tuesday called for a “deep reflection” on what has been happening to immigrants in the United States over recent months under President Donald Trump.
“Many people who have lived for years, and years and years, never causing problems, have been deeply affected by what’s going on right now,” he told reporters outside the papal retreat of Castel Gandolfo.
Speaking in English, and thereby ensuring he could reach his intended audience directly, the pope pointed out that Christian teaching spells out that believers will be judged on how they treated “the foreigner.” He also appealed to authorities to respect the “spiritual rights” of those detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in his home state of Illinois. His remarks come after reports that priests and pastoral workers have been unable to bring communion to those detained.
It’s not the first time Leo has spoken on this topic. He has lamented the “inhuman” treatment of migrants in the US while urging bishops in his home country to speak out. He’s also expressed concern about tensions between the US and Canada, and the US and Venezuela.
While the pope has a more reserved, formal style than his predecessor, he is continuing Francis’ priorities. At one level, Leo represents continuity with Francis – the first Latin American pontiff – given he spent decades in Peru as a missionary. He retains a close connection with the people of Peru and remains a citizen of the country.
“His front-burner issues seem to be poverty, migration, climate change, and he’s a big champion of the project of synodality started by Francis – the effort to make the Catholic Church more inclusive and participatory,” Christopher White, author of “Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy” and a senior fellow at Georgetown University in Washington DC, told CNN.
Leo XIV speaks out on ‘dictatorship’ of economic inequality and support for migrants in first major text
White insists that Leo “isn’t looking for a fight – with Trump or anyone,” but said he has “moral red lines” and is “particularly upset” about the treatment of migrants.
Following Leo’s remarks on Tuesday, a spokesman for the White House told Reuters that Trump was elected based on commitments to deporting “criminal illegal aliens” and that “he is keeping his promise to the American people.” The US Department for Homeland Security said those detained by ICE were held in humane conditions.