JD Vance is 'Wrong': The Pope appears uneasy with Trump immigration policies

Months before Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost became the first American pope, a social media account under his name expressed criticism of Vice President JD Vance, sharing an article that called the vice president's interpretation of Christian doctrine "wrong."

The piece, published in The National Catholic Reporter, was a rebuttal to Vance's interpretation of a Catholic teaching that he had used to defend the Trump administration's deportation policies.

The post on the social platform X, which the account shared in February, was one of several that highlighted articles criticizing the Trump administration's positions on immigration.

In April, the account under Prevost's name shared commentary from a Catholic writer who asked whether President Donald Trump and President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador saw "the suffering" caused by their immigration policies.

"Is your conscious not disturbed?" wrote Rocco Palmo, a Catholic church analyst. "How can you stay quiet?"

Although The New York Times could not independently confirm whether Prevost ran the account -- or if it was operated by a staff member -- the account was connected to a phone number and email address believed to be tied to him. Nearly all the posts, which date to 2011, shared articles, statements and comments made by other church leaders -- not by the cardinal himself.

In July 2015, the account reposted an article by Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York that described Trump's "anti-immigrant rhetoric" as "problematic." Three years later, the account shared a post from Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago, saying there was "nothing remotely Christian, American or morally defensible" about the administration's policy of separating migrant children from their parents.

The account also appeared to take issue with the Trump administration's repeal of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, which granted legal status to young adults brought to the country as children. The account reposted comments from several church leaders attacking the decision as "heartless" and fueling "racism and nativism."

The criticism of Trump largely echoes the positions of the late Pope Francis, who also expressed his disagreement with the administration's deportation policies.

At times, the account waded into other contentious areas of American politics. In 2020, it shared a statement signed by seven American bishops that said they were "broken-hearted, sickened and outraged" by the killing of George Floyd, which they described as a "wake-up call."

In 2017, the account shared a post from Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., criticizing fellow lawmakers for refusing to pass gun control legislation after the Mandalay Bay mass shooting in Las Vegas. Murphy has since emerged as one of the most vocal critics of the Trump administration.

And several posts shared articles opposing abortion rights, including one from the Catholic News Agency that featured self-identified "pro-life Democrats" criticizing Hillary Clinton for adopting an "extreme pro-abortion platform."

Only a small fraction of the posts referred to American politics. Many were in Spanish and shared announcements from the Peruvian Episcopal Conference, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Vatican. Others addressed matters of faith and Catholic doctrine or marked special dates for the Order of Saint Augustine, a religious order of men and women who follow the teachings of the fourth-century saint and of which Prevost is a member.

Some were even-lighter fare: One post linked to an article by the Catholic News Service listing the best Christmas movies.

The first posts were shared in 2011 and appeared to be updates on the cardinal's travel schedule.

"In Rome, Council meetings," the account posted on Sept. 20, 2011.

So far, Trump doesn't seem to be holding any grudges against the pope for any previous criticism. In his own post on X, Trump said he looked forward to meeting the new pope.

Vance, a Catholic convert who met with Francis shortly before his death, also sent well wishes Thursday afternoon.

"Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election!" he wrote on social media. "I'm sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!"

Not everyone in Trump's orbit may be quite as pleased.

Even before the selection of the new pope, Steve Bannon, one of the president's top allies, who has urged the church to adopt a more traditional stance, described Prevost as "one of the dark horses" to become the next pontiff.

"Unfortunately, he's one of the most progressive," Bannon said in an interview last week.