CHICAGO — A tweet from Chicago native Cardinal Robert Prevost has set off a wave of reactions online after he directly rebuked U.S. Senator JD Vance for a controversial comment about Christian love and moral priorities.
In a now-viral post, Cardinal Prevost wrote, “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others,” linking to a National Catholic Reporter article where he elaborated further on the biblical and moral implications of Vance’s rhetoric.
The message was short — but sharp — and viewed over 5.7 million times within days.
What Sparked the Clash?
The backlash stems from remarks Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) made in early February 2025, where he was quoted as saying that “Christians should love their own countrymen more than foreigners,” prompting criticism from across the theological spectrum.
Cardinal Robert Prevost, who was born in Chicago and currently serves in a senior Vatican position as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, pushed back forcefully. His tweet was interpreted by many as a public correction from a high-ranking Catholic official — and it came from one of Chicago’s own.
The tweet included a link to the full National Catholic Reporter article, in which Prevost explained:
“The teachings of Christ do not permit us to weigh love based on nationality or social class. Our responsibility is to love all, especially the most vulnerable.”
Chicago Pride Meets Internet Satire
As screenshots of Prevost’s tweet circulated widely, a Reddit post on r/Chicago took a humorous tone. One user captioned the image:
“When the Pope is from Chicago and also kind of hates you.”
While Prevost is not the pope, the joke resonated thanks to his rising influence in Rome and his South Side roots. Commenters joked about Chicago’s reputation for blunt honesty and theological muscle.
“Catholic guilt hits different when it’s coming from a Chicago bishop,” one commenter wrote.
“We got priests, we got deep dish, and now we got clapbacks from the Vatican,” added another.
Local Voices Respond
The story struck a chord with both political observers and local faith communities. In Hyde Park, Reverend Alana Michaels of St. Benedict’s Church called the moment “a reminder that faith should challenge power, not flatter it.”
“When Christian leaders speak truth to power — even if it’s uncomfortable — it sends a message. It tells people that love, in Christ’s example, is expansive, not exclusionary,” Michaels said.
Meanwhile, parishioners at Holy Name Cathedral, where Prevost once served before joining the Augustinian order abroad, expressed pride at his firm stance.
“He may be Vatican now, but that’s a Chicago response through and through,” said longtime attendee Margaret Fields. “He didn’t sugarcoat it. He led with clarity.”
A Broader Debate Over Christian Nationalism
This moment arrives amid growing tensions between conservative U.S. political figures and Catholic leadership. Vance’s statement was part of a broader defense of Christian nationalism — a movement critics say distorts Christianity into a political identity.
Cardinal Prevost’s response is part of a trend of Vatican officials pushing back.
In fact, Pope Francis himself — who appointed Prevost to his current position — has repeatedly warned against politicizing faith or using doctrine as a “weapon of division.”
Prevost’s tweet, though brief, signaled strong disapproval of using religious language to justify favoritism.
“To rank who deserves love is to betray the Gospels,” he wrote in the NCR article. “That is not the path of Christ.”
Cardinal Prevost: From Chicago to the Vatican
Born in Chicago in 1955, Robert Prevost entered the Augustinian order and earned degrees in Rome and Paris before serving extensively in Peru. He returned to the U.S. as a bishop in Kalamazoo, Michigan, before being tapped by Pope Francis for a prominent Vatican role in 2023.
Today, he is seen as one of the Church’s key advisors on appointments and reforms. Some even speculate that he could be a contender in a future papal conclave.
But Chicagoans still claim him.
“This is why you don’t mess with Chicago clergy,” wrote one Reddit user. “We got the Scriptures and the sass.”
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