American pope elected amid political tensions with Trump

Robert Prevost, 69, was born in Chicago. He is the first pope in history to come from the United States. Prior to the conclave, it was rare to find an American on the "favorites list." Yet, once again, the age-old adage proved true: "Who enters the conclave as a pope exits as a cardinal."

When Cardinal Dominique Mamberti appeared on the basilica's balcony to announce the election of the new pope, some of the faithful in St. Peter's Square were surprised. Why did the cardinals choose an American?

According to CNN, it is hard to overlook the political context of this decision, as the election of Leo XIV occurs at a pivotal time for the USA. CNN notes that "it seems an extraordinary coincidence" that the first pope from the USA was chosen while the United States, under President Donald Trump, is distancing itself from Europe and former alliances.

Prevost worked for many years as a missionary and spent 20 years in Peru. He speaks several languages, but - as CNN points out - he did not mention his American origins during his first public appearance. Instead, he spoke in Italian and Spanish, sending greetings to his "dear diocese of Chiclayo, in Peru."

"Amid rising anger in Global South nations over economic disparities, and with hostility on the right against mass migration peaking in the US, the Roman Catholic Church again has a leader who lived his vow of poverty among the marginalized in Latin America, where many migrants to the US originate," CNN emphasizes.

It would be an exaggeration to claim that Prevost's election is "a rebuke of Trumpism." However, it's hard to ignore that the Church "mastered the techniques of high politics" even before the United States gained independence.

When news of the new pope surfaced, Prevost was proclaimed in the media as "the anti-Trump of the new America." Posts suggested that he shared criticisms of Donald Trump's immigration policy (these posts were from platform X, but it has not been confirmed that Prevost shared them).

There will now be two Americans wielding vast power on the world stage — one politically and the other spiritually — and the implicit comparisons and potential disagreements between Trump and Pope Leo will be impossible to ignore, CNN points out.

Some influencers within the Make America Great Again movement were already expressing dissatisfaction on social media about the election of the new pope by Thursday. Donald Trump himself, upon learning of the election of an American pope, told reporters that "it's a great honor to have a pope from America."

However, it's possible that the pope's nationality is of secondary importance. Prevost spent most of his priestly life outside the U.S. He was also a close collaborator of Pope Francis.

Source: CNN