When asked if he had a message for America, Pope Leo XIV responded succinctly and directly.
Pope Leo, who was just elected, spoke to the media during a press conference on Monday, May 12, and seemed to criticise President Donald Trump.
He stated, “The way we communicate is of fundamental importance,” in reference to the Church’s interaction with the media. “We must say ‘no’ to the war of words and images, we must reject the paradigm of war.”
Pope Leo continued: “Let us disarm communication of all prejudice and resentment, fanaticism, and even hatred; let us free it from aggression.”
“We do not need loud, forceful communication, but rather communication that is capable of listening and of gathering the voices of the weak who have no voice.”
The ‘loud, powerful communication’ portion of his speech was interpreted by many as a jab at Trump, who is notorious for his ranting on social media, given his emotions.
The president hinted that Pope Leo’s election as pope was aided by his own presidential campaign in a recent post on Truth Social.
Pope Leo, the first American pope in history, was asked whether he had any message for the United States after the news conference.
“Many,” he answered. “God bless you all.”
The pope’s five-word statement has subsequently sparked online reactions. One individual called the pope’s remarks “menacing,” writing, “This is the most menacing thing I’ve seen a Pope say in my entire life.”
“You know it’s serious when even the Pope sounds like he’s got receipts and plans,” said another, while a third wrote, “This wasn’t a message this was a warning disguised as a blessing and I’m shook.”
“I’ve never heard two syllables sound more powerful and unsettling at the same time,” another person said.
According to some experts, Trump and his beliefs will be questioned by the new pope.
Professor Anna Rowlands, a theologian from the UK, stated that she believes the pope will be able to challenge them without getting into a fight.
Speaking from Rome, she told the PA news agency, “I think he might have this way of being quite a disarming presence. He’s gentle, he’s thoughtful. He’s almost all the opposite characteristics to Trump.”
“So if you think about somebody quiet and not boisterous, someone who thinks before they speak, someone who is centred.”
“There’s a kind of serenity about him. And he’s very unassuming. He’s almost exactly the opposite human characteristics to Donald Trump, and that could work in an interesting way.”
“He’s unlikely to be confrontational, I think, because of his nature, and yet I think the content of what he says will be quite challenging,” Prof Rowlands went on to say of the pope’s eventual meeting with Trump.
“I think he won’t want to simply judge Donald Trump. I think he will genuinely want to engage in a fruitful dialogue towards genuine human good, a just peace, security in the world, a genuine orientation towards real values – those are the kind of things he will want to enter into dialogue with the US administration on.”
