Pope Leo XIV has sparked a social media frenzy with a simple, one-word reply when asked if he had any message for the United States.
🗣️ The Viral Moment
As the new pontiff made his way through a crowd at the Vatican on Monday, NewsNation correspondent Robert Sherman managed to ask, “Any message for the United States?” Leo paused, then smiled.
“Many,” he replied.
After a brief moment, he added, “God bless you all.”
The short but powerful exchange quickly went viral, capturing the attention of millions online.
📰 A Pontiff with a Point
The clip came as the first US-born pope addressed thousands of journalists in a speech urging a more compassionate and fair media landscape.
“We do not need loud, forceful communication,” Leo said. “Instead, we need communication that listens and gathers the voices of the weak who have no voice.”
He also called for the protection of “the precious gift of free speech and the press,” adding that communication should be free from “prejudice, resentment, fanaticism, and even hatred.”
💥 A Subtle Dig at Trump?
Some social media users have speculated that Leo’s one-word response – “many” – might be a veiled jab at Donald Trump. The pontiff has a history of criticising the former US president.
In 2015, while still a cardinal, Leo shared a Washington Post op-ed by Cardinal Timothy Dolan titled, “Why Donald Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Is So Problematic.”
More recently, in February, he shared an article critical of Trump’s former vice president, headlined: “JD Vance Is Wrong: Jesus Doesn’t Ask Us to Rank Our Love for Others.”
Trump, unsurprisingly, has tried to insert himself into the narrative of Leo’s rise to the papacy, even hinting that he played a part in the conclave’s outcome.
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