New Pope previously shared criticism of Trump administration on social media

Cardinal Robert Prevost, who became the first American pope Thursday, frequently used social media to subtly push back on the Trump administration and its policies, a review of his posts on the social media platform X shows.

Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV, shared columns that disputed Vice President Vance's interpretation of Christian "ordo amoris," ranking order of love, in February; linked to an article that lambasted Trump's "anti-immigrant rhetoric" as dangerous in 2015; and reposted messages against the death penalty, migrant deportations and Congress's inaction on gun laws after deadly shootings.

He discussed his approach to and careful use of social media in a 2023 interview with the Vatican News Service.

"Social media can be an important tool to communicate the Gospel message reaching millions of people," Prevost said. "At the same time, the world today, which is constantly changing, presents situations where we really have to think several times before speaking or before writing a message on Twitter, in order to answer or even just to ask questions in a public form, in full view of everyone."

"Sometimes there is a risk of fueling divisions and controversy," he added.

Prevost is a Chicago native but rose the ranks of the Catholic church through his work in South American and has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Peru.

He used his first address as Pope Leo to emphasize unity.

"We have to seek together to be a missionary church, a church that builds bridges and dialogue, always ready to accept, like this great piazza, with its arms, we have to show our charity, presence and dialogue with love," he said.

Trump wrote in a social media post shortly after the new pontiff's introduction that he looks forward to meeting the first American pope.

"It will be a very meaningful moment!" the president wrote.

Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019 and is the nation's second Catholic vice president, was among the last people to meet with Pope Francis, a close confidant of Prevost, before his death on April 21.

Vance later said he took the happenstance as "a great honor and a sign from God to remember that you never know when your last day on this Earth is."