Pope Leo XIV is likely going to understand that the Republican Party and the Conservative Party, “is now the party that represents the values of the Catholic Church much more than the Democrats do,” says former Rep. Rick Santorum.

“I think that’s a big shift and that’s something I don’t think Pope Francis really understood very well,” Santorum told Newsmax TV’s “Saturday Report.”

“I think this pope, Pope Leo XIV, is going to understand that and understand the importance of the relationship between the Vatican and the Trump administration and the folks who are in control of the Congress right now,” he added.

Read more at Newsmax© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.