Grand Old Popy.
Pope Leo XIV has been quite the active participant in American politics, especially in the Republican primaries and the presidential elections recently, as indicated by various reports.
Robert Prevost, who hails from Chicago, notably cast his votes in the Republican primary elections in 2012, 2014, and 2016. According to election records, Leo XIV’s voting activity was reported by the Washington Free Beacon.
Pontifex, originating from Dalton, Illinois, also took part in the 2012, 2014, 2018, and 2024 general elections, as the records suggest.
Interestingly, while voters in Illinois aren’t allowed to officially register with political parties, it appears that Leo XIV exclusively participated in the Republican primaries, as noted by the Beacon report.
Prevost was appointed as Bishop of Cicollo in Peru by Pope Francis in 2014, eventually serving as Secretary of the Dicastery for the bishops until his move to Rome in 2023.
His last involvement in the 2016 Republican primary, preceding a decision to skip the general election that same year, has fueled speculation about his potential alignment with Trump-era politics.
Long before his elevation, the Pope had openly criticized President Trump’s immigration policies on social media, a point he reiterated just last month.
In a recent instance, Leo XIV even retweeted a commentary that criticized both Trump and El Salvador’s President Naive Buquere.
Prevost has not shied away from expressing differing views with the sitting president, previously retweeting a post revealing his discontent with the 2017 “Refugee ban.”
Furthermore, Catholic Vice President J.D. Vance has also been on the receiving end of moral guidance from Leo XIV. The Pope retweeted, stating, “JD Vance is wrong. Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”
