(BBC) – Jesse Romero, a conservative Catholic podcaster, has some choice words for Pope Leo XIV.
“The Pope should tell us how to get to heaven,” says Romero. “He has no authority over the government; he has to stay in his lane.”
As a Donald Trump supporter, he is angry about criticism made by the American-born Pope and US bishops about his mass deportation policy.
With one in five Americans identifying as Catholic, the Church plays an important role in American life – and politics.
Catholics like Vice President JD Vance, and influential legal activist Leonard Leo, were an important part of Donald Trump’s electoral success. They are at the heart of the cabinet too, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon holding key offices.
But the issue of immigration has become a faultline between Church leadership and the government, as well as amongst parishioners themselves.
When cardinals gathered at the papal conclave in May, Romero had hoped for a “Trump-like Pope,” with a similar outlook to the president.
