Pope Leo XIV has issued his most forceful critique yet of the Trump administration, urging Americans to “reflect deeply” on their treatment of migrants and cautioning that recent U.S. military actions risk escalating instability in Latin America.
Speaking to reporters outside his retreat at Castel Gandolfo, the first U.S.-born pontiff said countless families in the United States were being “profoundly affected” by President Donald Trump’s sweeping deportation measures.
“There are people who have lived in the United States for many years without causing harm, yet they have been deeply affected,” he said. “Every Christian will ultimately be judged by how they welcomed the foreigner.”
Observers described the remarks as Pope Leo’s bluntest rebuke of Washington since his election six months ago. Catholic historian Austen Ivereigh said, “His reference was unmistakably direct—he’s clearly speaking about the ICE raids. It’s a very strong statement.”
The Pope’s comments reflect a steady shift from his earlier diplomatic restraint. Just last month, he condemned Trump’s crackdown on undocumented migrants as “inhuman,” unsettling conservative Catholics who had celebrated him as an “American Pope.”
According to Ivereigh, many are now realizing that “Leo isn’t going to adapt church teaching to satisfy them. His style differs from Francis, but his priorities and doctrine remain consistent. He is very much a continuation.”
Born in Chicago as Robert Prevost, Pope Leo spent decades as a missionary in Peru—a background that scholars say deeply informs his perspective on migration.
Durham University professor Anna Rowlands noted that he “has lived in countries affected by these policies and experienced being welcomed as a migrant himself. He was, in essence, a migrant bishop.”
Rowlands added that the pontiff’s stance is “an entirely orthodox position,” grounded in longstanding Catholic teaching that upholds family unity and pastoral care for displaced people.
Asked about reports that detainees at a Chicago-area immigration facility were denied communion, Pope Leo urged authorities to permit pastoral outreach. “I would certainly invite the authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to those people’s needs,” he said.
Turning to Washington’s operations in Venezuela, the Pope criticized U.S. strikes on ships suspected of drug trafficking, warning they could exacerbate regional tensions. “With violence, we will not win,” he said in Italian, calling instead for dialogue.
He added that the increased presence of U.S. naval vessels near Venezuelan waters appeared to heighten, rather than ease, tensions.
Analysts say his remarks signal a pivotal moment in Pope Leo’s relationship with the Trump administration. “When the Pope speaks this decisively, it puts real pressure on U.S. officials—especially those who identify as Catholic,” Ivereigh said. “Until now, Leo has avoided becoming entangled in the Trump political machine. Perhaps he’s prepared to take that risk now.”
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