So, it finally happened. An American is sitting on the Chair of Saint Peter. When the white smoke cleared in May 2025 and Robert Francis Prevost emerged as Pope Leo XIV, the internet didn't just celebrate—it went digging.
People wanted to know: who is this guy from Chicago who spent years in the trenches of Peru? Naturally, everyone flocked to his X account, formerly known as Twitter.
Honestly, it’s a weird feeling seeing a Pope’s old retweets. You expect something formal or maybe just endless "God bless you" posts. But the reality of the Robert Francis Prevost Twitter feed—under the handle @drprevost—is way more interesting, and a lot more politically charged, than most people expected.
The Digital Footprint of Pope Leo XIV
If you go looking for the original @drprevost account today, you might hit a wall. Shortly after his election, the account was largely wound down or transitioned as the Vatican moved him over to the official @Pontifex handles. But the internet never forgets.
For years, Prevost used his platform as a digital window into his priorities. He wasn't some "influencer" priest posting selfies. He was a curator. He mostly shared articles from the National Catholic Reporter, America Magazine, and posts from other bishops.
What’s striking is how much he focused on the U.S. political landscape from his vantage point in Rome and Peru.
One of the most talked-about moments came in February 2025. He shared an article with a headline that didn't pull any punches: "JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others." This was a direct response to the Vice President’s take on the Catholic concept of ordo amoris (the order of love).
Prevost wasn't just being "online." He was taking a stand on theology in the public square.
Why the MAGA Meltdown Happened
It’s no secret that the American Right had some... feelings about this. As soon as the news broke that Cardinal Prevost was now Pope Leo XIV, folks like Laura Loomer and Megyn Kelly were all over his post history.
They saw a "Marxist puppet."
They saw an "anti-MAGA" operative.
But if you actually look at the posts, it’s less about partisan hackery and more about a very specific Augustinian worldview. Prevost has been hitting the same drum for a decade:
- Immigration: He retweeted Cardinal Blase Cupich back in 2018 calling the separation of children at the border "not remotely Christian."
- Climate Change: He’s shared dozens of links urging leaders to read up on environmental stewardship.
- Gun Control: He’s amplified calls for "common sense" gun safety after major U.S. shootings.
It’s the "Francis 2.0" vibe, but with a Chicago accent.
Is He Actually "Woke"?
Labeling a Pope is always a losing game. While his Twitter activity suggests a social progressive, his track record in the Dicastery for Bishops tells a more complex story.
He’s a centrist on Church doctrine. He hasn't moved the needle on the ordination of women, and he’s been pretty firm on traditional views regarding gender ideology.
Basically, he’s the guy who will fight for a migrant’s right to a dignified life while simultaneously holding the line on 2,000-year-old moral teachings. That nuance often gets lost in a 280-character tweet.
One of the coolest things he shared wasn't even political. During the pandemic, he posted a comedic TikTok skit about social distancing. It showed a human side to a man who was, at the time, one of the most powerful people in the Vatican.
What Happens to the @Pontifex Account Now?
The Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication confirmed that Leo XIV is keeping the digital lights on. He inherited the 52 million followers across the nine @Pontifex language accounts.
But don't expect the spicy retweets to continue. The official Papal accounts are run by a team. They are polished. They are safe.
👉 See also: Why the Map of Europe in the 1900s Still Explains Everything About Modern Borders
The era of Robert Francis Prevost, the private citizen with a Twitter account, is over. But that digital trail gave us a better look at his soul than any official biography ever could.
Actionable Insights for the "Digital Catholic"
If you're trying to make sense of the new Pope's digital history, here is how to approach it:
Don't mistake a retweet for a dogma. Sharing an article, as any journalist will tell you, isn't always a 100% endorsement of every word. Prevost used Twitter as a way to engage with the world, not just to issue decrees.
Look at the dates. Context matters. A tweet from 2011 about administrative Church business in Peru is very different from a 2025 tweet about the U.S. Vice President.
Follow the official archives. The Vatican is archiving Pope Francis’s @Franciscus Instagram and his tweets. If you want to compare the two pontificates, looking at what they choose to keep public is a masterclass in Church PR.
The "American Pope" experiment is just beginning. Whether he remains as "active" as he was on @drprevost remains to be seen, but the blueprint is already there, written in a decade of clicks and shares.