Is it purely a coincidence, or is Pope Leo intentionally throwing shade at the U.S. president?<\/p>\n
Nearly a month has passed since 69-year-old Pope Leo XIV became the new head of the Catholic Church, and he\u2019s already been making headlines for a variety of reasons.<\/p>\n
From being the first American to hold the position and conducting Mass in English, to impressing onlookers with his baseball-style glove catch during a parade, Pope Francis\u2019 successor has had quite a memorable start.<\/p>\n
Now, his latest move has some speculating that he may be intentionally provoking former President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
According to ABC7 Chicago, Pope Leo is scheduled to deliver a special video message to young people around the world during a Mass in Chicago on June 14.<\/p>\n
This will be his first public engagement with the city since his election and is expected to attract a large audience. The Mass will be led by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich and will feature the Pope\u2019s message.<\/p>\n
Adding to the symbolism, the event will be held at Rate Field\u2014the home stadium of the Chicago White Sox, the baseball team the Pope is known to support. The Archdiocese of Chicago is billing the celebration as a historic occasion in honor of the first Pope born in Chicago.<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s a twist: June 14 also happens to be Donald Trump\u2019s birthday.<\/p>\n
On the same day, a grand, multimillion-dollar military parade will take place in Washington, D.C.\u2014not officially to honor Trump\u2019s birthday, but conveniently coinciding with it.<\/p>\n
The White House says the event is intended to honor the U.S. military, with a reported budget of around $45 million.<\/p>\n
In a statement, the administration said the parade serves as a tribute to the nation\u2019s fallen heroes and those who have served in uniform.<\/p>\n
Still, the overlap between these two high-profile events has sparked speculation on social media. Some users believe the Pope may be subtly mocking Trump.<\/p>\n
One post on X suggested: \u201cIs the Pope trying to embarrass Trump? His Mass could draw over a million people\u2014far more than the expected turnout for Trump\u2019s parade.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another added: \u201cPope Leo will be addressing young people while hosting a massive Mass\u2026 right on Trump\u2019s birthday, during the parade.\u201d<\/p>\n
And a third chimed in: \u201cHe scheduled it at the exact same time. That\u2019s expert-level trolling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Others noted the peculiar timing with comments like \u201cWhat timing!\u201d and \u201cThe Pope is a master at this kind of subtle trolling.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, some were quick to point out that the Pope likely didn\u2019t pick the date himself. One user clarified: \u201cLet\u2019s not exaggerate. The date and event were organized by the Archdiocese of Chicago. The Pope is just contributing a video message.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"