Catholic Church: the American Pope and the proud president

The United States is already in suspense under Donald Trump on all fronts – now they are also Pope. For the first time in history. The US Catholic Dawn stands on a St. Matthew’s church in the capital Washington and says with a laugh that she almost started singing “God Bless America” ​​when she belonged to the new Pope from the election of Robert Prevost. “But honestly, the Pope is the Pope of the World Church. And if he were just a Pope for America, it would be a really bad thing.”

The petite woman with gray hair praises the choice of name of the new Pontifex exuberantly. Leo XIV. – That means that the Pope in the tradition of Leo XIII. stand that the worker was the pope and a significant advocate of social justice. She therefore thinks that “wonderful things” can be expected from him.

Others also apply directly to the next church in view of the news from Rome, not only in the capital. There is a mother and her adult daughter near Dawn. You could hardly have to wait to find out who will be the new Pope and which direction the church is falling, says the mother, Teresa. She is visiting her daughter from the state of Pennsylvania, who studies in the capital. “We loved Pope Francis,” says Teresa. He stood for compassion and mercy. Of course, it is exciting that the new Pope is an American. But in the end the nationality doesn’t matter.

Trump recently noticed with pope jokes

For Donald Trump. Shortly after the announcement of the surprising news from Rome, the US President wrote on the Truth Social platform: “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope.” This is exciting and a “great honor” for the USA. He looks forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. “It will be a very important moment!”

Trump is a Christian, but not a Catholic. The Republican is not considered a particularly religious person, even if evangelical Christians are an important group of voters for him. The US President had demonstrated his sometimes lack of sense of religious sensitivities when he pushed many Catholics with a viscous picture of himself shortly before the pope election. A US bishop publicly described this as tactless and insulting and demanded an apology from the President.

Trump had previously been publicly joked that he would like to become a Pope himself. “That would be my first choice.” Some believers found the joke that funny.

Criticism of Trump’s policy from the Vatican

How well the President and the first American Pope will end up in the end must be shown. In the race for the post as head of the Catholic Church, there was also another American who was considered more conservative and was more considered by Trump’s candidate.

In any case, as Cardinal, Robert Prevost had publicly recognized criticism of Trump’s Vice JD Vance, who is Catholic. In an interview, Vance had spoke about a “Christian concept”, “says that you love your family, then his neighbor, then his community, then his fellow citizens, and then the rest of the world”. Prevost then shared an opinion contribution on the platform X: “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus does not ask us to evaluate our love for others,” it said.

Vance had met Pope’s predecessor, Pope Francis, shortly before his death in the Vatican. According to the Vatican, it was also about topics such as migrants, refugees and people in prison. Francis had publicly criticized Trump’s deportation policy several times. The new Pope also seems to be skeptical about the migration policy of the US government. As Cardinal, Prevost shared critical contributions from other users on his X account.

Protestantism prevailing Christian current in the USA

A few months after Joe Bidens’ excerpt from the White House, an American will be elected to the Pope for the first time, does not lack a certain irony. Biden is strictly believed Catholic. After John F. Kennedy (1961 to 1963) he was only the second Catholic President in US history. The Democrat goes to church every weekend. The 82-year-old and his wife Jill traveled to Rome for the burial of Pope Francis. He narrowly missed the historical moment for the United States and American Catholics as President.

According to surveys, around 20 percent of the Americans describe themselves as Catholics. Other Christian currents – especially Protestantism – are more dominant in the USA. In the United States, too, the Catholic Church has experienced profound crises in recent years. Several abuse scandals were uncovered – the deeds had been covered up for decades.

New Pope – new chance?

Some Catholic in the United States now hopes that an American Pope could throw a positive light on the Catholic Church in the USA and the country as a whole with a social approach. The student Ele Elektra, who came to the church in Washington with her mother, promises Leo XIV a “merciful representation of the USA” in the world. “I hope that the Pope will bring this with it and that this very positive picture will spread worldwide – at a time when a lot is unsure and there is a lot of confusion.”