Leo, the first pope hailing from the U.S., appealed during a Mass attended by tens of thousands in St. Peter’s Square for God to “open borders, break down walls (and) dispel hatred.”
“The presence of prejudice, ‘security’ zones that separate us from our neighbors, and the exclusionary attitudes that are regrettably surfacing in political nationalisms has no place,” the pontiff stated.
Leo, previously known as Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected on May 8 to succeed the late Pope Francis, leading the 1.4 billion-member Church.
Before his papacy, Prevost did not hesitate to criticize U.S. President Donald Trump, sharing various disapproving messages about Trump and Vice President JD Vance on X over the years.
The Vatican has not verified the new pope’s ownership of the X account, previously under the handle @drprevost, which was deactivated following Leo’s election.
Francis, who served as pope for 12 years, was a vocal critic of Trump. The late pope labeled the president’s plan to deport millions of migrants in the U.S. during his second term as a “disgrace.”
Previously, Francis remarked that Trump was “not Christian” due to his immigration stance.
“A person who only considers constructing walls, regardless of their location, and neglects the importance of building bridges, is not Christian,” Francis commented when questioned about Trump in 2016.
Leo was officiating a Mass for Pentecost, which is among the Church’s most significant holidays.
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First Published: Jun 8, 2025 4:27 PM IST
