{"id":2678,"date":"2026-07-04T16:35:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T16:35:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2678"},"modified":"2026-07-04T16:35:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T16:35:51","slug":"pope-leo-sends-veiled-message-to-trump-on-migrants-in-july-4-appeal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2678","title":{"rendered":"Pope Leo Sends Veiled Message to Trump on Migrants in July 4 Appeal"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Pope Leo XIV issued a veiled criticism of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies Saturday, urging Americans to prioritize \u201ccompassion\u201d as he extended \u201cheartfelt congratulations\u201d on the United States’ 250th anniversary.<\/p>\n

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In a message released by the Vatican and shared on X, the Chicago-born pontiff-formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost-congratulated the U.S. on its \u201cextraordinary national anniversary.\u201d<\/p>\n

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“This anniversary stands as an invitation not only to celebrate the nation’s remarkable journey, but also to reflect upon the responsibilities that the sons and daughters of this country bear to one another, and to the generations who will inherit the nation that is being shaped today,” he wrote.<\/p>\n

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Without explicitly naming Trump, Leo said that defending human life involves “welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants, whose hopes, sacrifices and contribution have formed part of the history of this country from its very beginning.” The pope has previously criticized the “inhuman treatment” of migrants in the U.S.<\/p>\n

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In mid-April, Trump said that Leo failed to understand the nature of the Iran situation and believed that Iran “can have a nuclear weapon.” Against this characterization, Leo has in the past spoken about “the profound horrors wrought by nuclear weapons,” which he said “offend our shared humanity and also betray the dignity of creation, whose harmony we are called to safeguard.”<\/p>\n

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This back-and-forth between Washington and the Vatican has extended beyond its two leaders.<\/p>\n

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Vice President JD Vance in April urged the pontiff to “be careful when he talks about matters of theology.”<\/p>\n

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That month, The Free Press reported that, during a closed\u2011door meeting in January, Pentagon officials began lecturing and issuing subtle threats against the Catholic Church representatives. According to the outlet, one participant invoked the Avignon Papacy-a 14th\u2011century period when the French monarchy used military pressure to bend the papacy to its will-as a warning about American power.<\/p>\n

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The Pentagon denied the account, telling Newsweek<\/em> that the outlet’s characterization of the meeting was “highly exaggerated and distorted,” while describing the meeting as “a respectful and reasonable discussion” between U.S. and Vatican officials.<\/p>\n

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Despite these clashes, Leo retains significant popularity among American Catholics, though surveys from June suggest his standing has weakened due to declining support among Republican Catholics and less-frequent churchgoers.<\/p>\n

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Check out all of Newsweek\u2019s coverage of America\u2019s 250th anniversary:<\/p>\n

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