Newly-elected Pope Leo XIV appeared to take aim at President Donald Trump Thursday during his first speech as pontiff.
American-born Cardinal Robert Prevost echoed the words of the late Pope Francis, a regular critic of Trump’s, when he advocated for migrant rights.
“We must seek together how to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges, dialogue, [and is] always open to receive—like this square, with open arms—everyone, all those who need our charity, our presence, dialogue, love," he said.
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Francis, often called the “People’s Pope,” often countered Trump’s anti-undocumented immigrant campaign slogan “Build the Wall” by urging global leaders to instead “build bridges.”
“‘Build bridges, not walls,’ was an exhortation he repeated many times,” Cardinal Re said when he delivered the late pontiff’s homily.
The new Holy Father payed tribute to Francis in a speech honoring the world’s migrants. Francis, who was a migrant himself having been born in Argentina, was the world’s first Latin American pope.
“Help us too, then, each other, to build bridges... uniting all of us to be one people, always in peace,” Leo XIV added. “Thank you to Pope Francis.”
He even took a moment to speak Spanish and encourage the church to always seek peace, charity, and “to be close, especially to those who suffer.”
“I too would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach your families, to all people, wherever they may be, to all nations, to the whole earth‚” the pontiff said to the thousands that gathered beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, adding that God “loves us all, unconditionally.”
“Peace be with you all,” Pope Leo XIV said from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, a common message within the Catholic Church but also one that could apply to Trump’s divided America.
Cardinal Robert Prevost has directly criticized the Trump administration in the past, including calling out Vice President JD Vance.
Francis was one of the most transgressive popes in the church’s history and was revered by progressives for his stances on social causes. He spent his final moments on Earth lamenting the world’s xenophobia. In his frail state, he directed Archbishop Diego Ravelli to read what would be some of his final words.
“What a great thirst for death, for killing, we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of our world!” Ravelli read. “How much violence we see, often even within families, directed at women and children! How much contempt is stirred up at times towards the vulnerable, the marginalized, and migrants!”
Francis implored the world to “revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves, or who come from distant lands, bringing unfamiliar customs, ways of life and ideas. For all of us are children of God.”
Trump congratulated Leo XIV in a post on Truth Social, despite recently suggesting that he should be pope instead.
“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope,” he wrote. “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. 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!”
The rest of MAGA, however, has already begun to melt down over the Vatican’s choice, with rightwing influencer Laura Loomer posting on X that Leo XIV “is anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro-open Borders, and a total Marxist like Pope Francis.”
Leo XIV is a native Chicagoan and the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church.
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Read Leo XIV’s full speech below:
In Italian:
Peace be with you all!
Dearest brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the risen Christ, the good shepherd who laid down his life for the flock of God.
I too would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach your families, to all people, wherever they may be, to all nations, to the whole earth.
Peace be with you!
This is the peace of the risen Christ—a disarmed peace and a disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all, unconditionally.
We still keep in our ears that weak, but always courageous voice of Pope Francis, who blessed Rome. The Pope who blessed Rome gave his blessing to the world, to the whole world, that morning of Easter Sunday.
Allow me to continue that same blessing.
God loves us. God loves you all. And evil will not prevail. We are all in the hands of God.
Therefore, without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, let us go forward.
We are disciples of Christ. Christ precedes us. The world needs his light. Humanity needs him as the bridge to be reached by God and his love.
Help us too, then, each other, to build bridges—with dialogue, with encounter—uniting all of us to be one people, always in peace.
Thank you to Pope Francis.
I also want to thank all my brother cardinals who have chosen me to be the successor of Peter and to walk together with you as a united Church, always seeking peace, justice, always trying to work as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ, without fear, to proclaim the Gospel, to be missionaries.
I am a son of Saint Augustine, an Augustinian, who said: With you I am a Christian, and for you a bishop. In this sense, we can all walk together toward that homeland which God has prepared for us.
To the Church of Rome—a special greeting. We must seek together how to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges, dialogue, always open to receive—like this square with open arms—everyone, all those who need our charity, our presence, dialogue, love.
And allow me also a word, a greeting to all those, in a particular way, to my beloved Diocese of Chiclayo:
In Spanish:
To all those and in a particular way to my beloved diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, where a faithful people has accompanied their bishop, has shared their faith. So much, so much to continue being a faithful church of Jesus Christ.
To all of you, brothers and sisters of Rome, of Italy, of all the world, we want to be a synodal church, a church that walks together, a church that always seeks peace, always seeks charity, always seeks to be close especially to those who suffer.
On the Day of Supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii, Our Mother must always walk with us, be close, help us with her intercession and her love. Now I would like to pray with you, let us pray together.
In Italian:
From Italy, from all over the world, we want to be a synodal Church, a Church that walks together, a Church that always seeks peace, always seeks charity, always seeks to be close especially to those who suffer. Today is the day of supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii.
Our Mother Mary always wants to walk with us, to be close, to help us with her intercession and her love. So I would like to pray together with you.
Let us pray together for this new mission, for the whole Church, for peace in the world, and let us ask for this special grace from Mary, our Mother. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
