Laura Loomer lamented that the new pope ‘is anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro-open Borders, and a total Marxist like Pope Francis,’ adding that it’s ‘GROSS’ that he now leads the Catholic Church
It didn’t take long for right-wing media figures and MAGA provocateurs to cry out in rage over the election of Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV after it was revealed that he’d publicly criticized JD Vance and expressed sympathy for immigrants and George Floyd.
Despite feeling national pride over the fact that the Chicago-born Prevost has become the first American pope in history, conservative pundits and Trump loyalists fumed over the “WOKE MARXIST POPE” and complained that he is “worse than Francis,” referencing the previous pontiff known for his progressive values.
Even before the “dark horse” American cardinal was elected the 267th pope, former Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon warned about Prevost’s views, claiming that he would be a poor choice for the MAGA movement.
Popes choose their own name. Pope Leo seems to have been a specific selection.
St. Leo the Great was a Roman Catholic Pope who reigned from 440 to 461. He is remembered for his strong defense of papal authority, his theological writings on Christ’s humanity and divinity, and his role in meeting with Attila the Hun and the Vandals to prevent them from destroying Rome.
Did he specify already that he chose to name himself after St. Leo the Great? I’m probably out of the loop, I thought we were still guessing which one of the previous 13 popes Leos he’s named after.
The only other noteworthy Pope Leos were X, who was a patron of the arts, and XIII, who was a large supporter of the working class. The latter is also a possible influence given what he had done during his missionary work in Peru.