Recently elected Pope Leo XIV has appointed a new bishop with outspoken pro-migrant beliefs — right in President Donald Trump's backyard.
According to KSNT News, Leo "named the Rev. Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez, currently pastor of a predominantly Hispanic church in the Queens borough of New York City, as bishop of Palm Beach, Florida. The diocese is home to the Mar-a-Lago estate of President Donald Trump, whose get-tough immigration policies have drawn objections from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops."
Rodríguez, who was born in the Dominican Republic, spoke of his stance on immigration and his opinion of current U.S. policy in a diplomatic but firm way.
“The president is doing really good things, not only for the United States, but for the world. But when it comes to the migrant, the immigration policy, we want to help. We want to assist the president as a church because we believe that we can do better … than the way we’re doing this right now,” he said. “When it comes to enforcing immigration laws, we shouldn’t be enforcing them by focusing on deporting 5-year-olds, 12-year-olds, 9-year-old kids, people that have never committed any crime. So, we’re here to help. We’re willing to help, and God willing, we will.”
The Catholic Church has for centuries advocated for the rights of migrants and refugees and urged nations to treat them with dignity. However, the appointment comes at a moment when Leo, the first American pope in history and a relatively liberal figure following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope Francis, has moved to make his mark on the Church's politics.
Earlier this week, he announced that Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the outgoing head of the New York Archdiocese and one of the most outspoken right-wing figures in the Church, will be replaced by Ronald Hicks, a fellow Chicagoan and progressive who similarly holds staunch pro-migrant views. And in June, Bishop Michael Pham, Leo's pick to head the Diocese of San Diego, instructed a group of priests and deacons to accompany migrants to court.
Trump, who frequently launched public attacks against Francis, initially welcomed the election of Leo, but recently appeared surprised by the new pope's criticism and appeared to be confused about who was currently the pope in the first place.
