Pope Leo XIV kept it short, but not all that sweet, when asked to send a message to the United States Monday.
The pontiff had his first international press conference in the Vatican on Monday, where he addressed the importance of free speech and a free press, and thanked reporters for their work covering the papal election.
At one point when walking through the crowd, Pope Leo XIV was asked by NewsNation correspondent Robert Sherman if he had “any message” to give to the U.S., prompting the pontiff to succinctly reply: “Many.”
“God bless you all,” he added, cushioning the quip.
During his address, the pope called for the crowd to “disarm communication of all prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and even hatred” and reminded that “we do not need loud, forceful communication, but rather communication that is capable of listening and of gathering the voices of the weak who have no voice.” Though he did not call out Trump by name, the 69-year-old’s comments come at a time of heightened rhetoric from the Trump administration.
The Chicago native notably does not seem to be a fan of President Donald Trump, as his past social media activity shows him disagreeing with the president on pressing policies like immigration.
In 2015, when Trump announced he was running for president and promised to “build a wall,” the pontiff retweeted an op-ed titled “Why Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is so problematic.”
He also criticized the Trump administration as recently as February, retweeting an op-ed scrutinizing Vice President JD Vance for trying to justify the admin’s hostile immigration policies with a Christian teaching.
Trump meanwhile, seems welcoming of the new pope, the first American to be elected into the role, and congratulated him on his papacy last week.
“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope,” Trump penned on Truth Social. “What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”
