On Thursday, Argentine President Javier Milei commemorated the election of Pope Leo XIV by posting images on social media, seemingly created using artificial intelligence featuring Pope Regalia’s lion.
The lion represents freedom, aligning with Milei’s libertarian political ideology. He often shares artistic illustrations of himself depicted as a lion, recalling his campaign trail saying, “I didn’t come to lead the lamb; I came to wake up the lion.”
Milei included a photo in his post with the caption, “The powers of heaven have given their verdict in a very clear and overwhelming way. You no longer have your honor. Finn.”
This image symbolizes Milei’s embrace of the new Pope’s name, reflecting the positive sentiment among libertarians. Additionally, he shared another image of Pope Leo XIV, originally known as Cardinal Robert Prevost Martinez, before his election.
The accompanying text read, “In the age of Milei, the new Pope’s name is the Lion. We are destined. Let’s go to Argentina!”
Pope Leo’s background differs notably from that of his predecessor, Pope Francis. Hailing from Chicago, Leo is the first Pope in the church’s over 2,000-year history to originate from the U.S. He is also the second Hispanic Pope after Francis, with roots tracing back to his Spanish-descended mother. Before becoming Bishop of Rome, he served as Bishop of Chiclajo in Peru.
Milei frequently shares AI-generated art featuring lions for special occasions. For instance, in November, he posted an image symbolizing President Donald Trump’s acceptance of a lion-themed suit, celebrating his reelection.
As the new president of the Pope’s homeland, following Milei, President Trump congratulated the new Pope on Thursday.
“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, just named Pope. It’s a great honor to have him as the first American,” Trump stated. “What excitement for our country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”
Milei has described himself as a Catholic but has publicly identified as a Jewish student. The Catholic Church has deep ties to Judaism, originating from its foundation by Jesus Christ.
“I’m Catholic, but I practice a bit of Judaism,” he noted in previous interviews. Following several visits to Israel and sacred Jewish sites in the U.S., Milei mentioned he is attempting to convert from Catholicism to Judaism, although he does not adhere to Orthodox practices like observing the Sabbath.
Prior to his presidency, Milei was a prominent critic of Pope Francis in Argentina, openly labeling him as a socialist and calling him an “idiot.”
“Social justice is a crime against capitalism. We must make it clear in Rome [to Pope Francis] that social justice is theft and contradicts the commandments,” Milei stated in 2020, arguing that envy, which forms the basis of social justice, is indeed a crime against capitalism.
Milei accused Pope Francis of being “a representative of evil on earth, occupying God’s house.”
After his election, they engaged in several communications, with Pope Francis, formerly the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, inviting Milei to the Vatican. They met in February 2024, where Milei expressed that he had reevaluated some of his previous opinions about the Pope.
Following the Pope’s passing in April, Milei declared seven days of mourning in Argentina.
“In this moment of sorrow, I’ve learned that today Pope Jorge Bergoglio, Francis, has peacefully passed away,” Milei stated. “It was an honor to meet him, given his wisdom and elegance, despite our differing views.”
“As President and as a person of faith from Argentina, I say goodbye to my Holy Father and stand in solidarity with those grieving today,” he concluded.
