Before being elected as the pope, the new Pope Leo XIV was not afraid to discuss sensitive issues on social media, including openly criticizing U.S. Vice President Vance and addressing the topic of clergy sexual abuse.
Vance previously suggested that Christians should love their families, neighbors, communities, and fellow citizens in a specific order. Prevost, who was then an American cardinal, immediately took to social media platform X to criticize Vance from a theological perspective. The 69-year-old Prevost was elected as the pope on the 8th.
In February, he wrote on platform X, "Vance is wrong: Jesus did not ask us to rank our love for others," and he reshared a sharply critical article from a columnist, which received tens of thousands of likes and numerous comments.
While former Pope Benedict XVI might have been the first pope to tweet under the @Pontifex account in 2012, Pope Leo XIV is undoubtedly the first to become pope with years of active social media experience.
Since creating his personal X account 14 years ago, Pope Leo XIV has posted more than 400 times, expressing views on various sensitive topics, including racism, clergy sexual abuse, the COVID-19 pandemic, the death of African-American man Floyd under police restraint, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The new pope has strengthened criticism against U.S. President Trump's immigration policies, resharing an article in 2017 that described the refugee ban as "a dark moment in American history" and a rejection of "American values."
He has repeatedly criticized Vance and challenged his statements.
After the Floyd incident in 2020, he urged other clergy members to speak out. He wrote, "We need to hear more from church leaders to reject racism and seek justice."
He has also called for the church to take more action in expelling clergy who sexually abuse children.