[By Guancha Observer Network, Chen Sijia] On May 8 local time, Robert Prevost, a cardinal from the United States, was elected as the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church in Rome, named Leo XIV, becoming the first American-born Pope. A candidate for the papacy must receive the support of two-thirds of the cardinals, and this election involved 133 cardinals, meaning Prevost received at least 89 votes.
"The new Pope is almost everything Trump opposes." According to a report by Politico Europe on May 10, several Vatican sources revealed that Prevost opposed President Trump's policies on immigration issues, but also showed willingness to reconcile with conservative factions within the Catholic Church. The cardinals hope Prevost can "balance" Trump while preventing the American Church from splitting.
A few anonymous cardinals said they were initially reluctant to elect a Pope from a superpower, but soon realized that Robert Prevost, born in Chicago, could speak "another voice" to Trump. On paper, Prevost opposes nearly all of Trump's policies, and it is expected that he will continue to adopt a tolerant stance towards groups historically persecuted by the Church.
The biggest disagreement between Prevost and Trump may be on immigration issues. A source told Politico Europe that while Trump was expelling illegal immigrants, Prevost decided to "support immigrants, support refugees, and stand with the poor."
Walter Kasper, a 92-year-old German cardinal who could not participate in the "secret conclave" due to age, revealed that before the start of the "secret conclave," immigration was an important issue of concern among the cardinals, which usually has a huge impact on the election results. "Trump's treatment of immigrants is terrible, and Prevost, who has worked in both the U.S. and Peru, understands this issue very well."
Prevost, aged 69, has previously served in the Catholic Churches of the U.S. and Peru and obtained Peruvian nationality in 2015.
Church historian Alberto Meloni pointed out: "He (Prevost) will certainly be a trouble for Trump because he takes a very serious position, representing the Americans Trump dislikes, those who speak Spanish. In his first speech on Thursday night, he used Spanish and Italian instead of English, which was a deliberate and harsh move."
New Roman Pope Robert Prevost, known as Leo XIV, Visual China
In his speech on the afternoon of the 8th, Prevost condemned "the neglect of compassion and the shocking violation of human dignity," which can be interpreted as opposition to Trump's immigration policies. Politico Europe also noticed that there is a verified account for Robert Prevost on social platform X, where the user suspected to be the new Pope has repeatedly criticized Trump and Vice President Vance's policies.
A Vatican insider said that although Prevost's political stance was not the main factor in determining the result, it was clearly a good thing for the cardinals to have an American Pope who could counterbalance Trump's remarks.
The cardinals also hope that Prevost will heal the "split" between the Vatican and the American Church. In recent years, under the influence of domestic politics in the U.S., the American Catholic Church has gradually split into a tough progressive faction and a conservative faction allied with Trump supporters. Among them, conservatives even claim to be "persecuted" by the former Pope Francis and attempt to challenge the status of the Vatican.
Many church insiders worry that if the situation gets out of control, the American Catholic Church might break away from the Roman Catholic Church. A Vatican insider revealed that the cardinals believe Prevost can heal the divisions within the Church. "He will definitely have an impact on the American Church because he is American and comes from a more open and progressive Chicago."
This insider noted that Prevost does not intend to confront the conservatives; he has expressed willingness to reconcile with them and plans to move into the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. This is like telling the right-wing, "We do not oppose you." Before the former Pope Francis moved into the simpler Saint Martha Residence, the Apostolic Palace was traditionally the residence of the Pope in the Vatican.
Some conservative church members have already indicated that they hope Prevost adopts a more moderate stance. Edward Feather, a philosophy professor at Pasadena City College, pointed out that Prevost's theological ideas lean toward progressivism, but he may also be persuaded to abandon some of Francis' "more controversial decisions."
Politico Europe noticed that Prevost personally met Raymond Burke, an influential American cardinal who has been critical of Francis. Burke has opposed Francis' attempts to reduce the Tridentine Mass, a religious ritual deeply favored by conservatives. However, this move in turn caused unease among moderate individuals who fear that conservatives might become "a force" again in the Church.
Prevost's willingness to reconcile, however, does not necessarily satisfy Trump supporters. Steve Bannon, who once served as a Trump advisor and is an extreme conservative Catholic, claimed that for "MAGA Catholics," Prevost being elected as the Pope was "the worst choice." He accused the Vatican cardinals of conducting an "anti-Trump vote."
Bloomberg reported that Prevost was elected as Pope in the fourth round of voting during the "conclave" in the Vatican, much faster than expected, given that this was the largest and geographically most diverse "conclave" in history, and not all cardinals knew each other before arriving in Rome.
Desiree Sahahazana, a cardinal from Madagascar, revealed on May 10 that in the final round of voting, Prevost received over 100 votes out of the 133 cardinals, far exceeding the required 89 votes.
From the fact that Prevost chose to name himself Leo Prevost, it seems he may continue some of the important policies of Francis, giving greater voice to the churches in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The last Pope named Leo was Italian Pope Leo XIII, who led the Roman Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903. Leo XIII softened the Church's stance against modern matters such as science and politics and laid the foundation for modern Catholic social thought. His most famous encyclical was Rerum Novarum in 1891, which discussed workers' rights and capitalism issues during the early stages of the Industrial Revolution.
Bloomberg's analysis indicates that many actions during Francis' tenure suggest that he considered Prevost as his successor. Francis appointed Prevost as Bishop of Chiclayo, northern Peru, in 2014 and transferred him to the Vatican in 2023 to serve as Minister of Bishops and Chairman of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. This is a key office in the Vatican responsible for reviewing nominations for bishops.
Prevost announced in his speech on the 10th that he is committed to the modernization reforms of the Church established at the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. He agrees with Francis' view on artificial intelligence, considering it one of the main problems facing human society. Francis has always been concerned about the impact of artificial intelligence and calls for international treaties to regulate it.
This article is an exclusive contribution from the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.
Original link: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7502993961398542863/
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