Pope Leo XIV’s meeting with Democratic Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson at the Vatican in Rome, Italy, drew different reactions on social media — both positive and negative.

Johnson said after the May 28 meeting that the two discussed United States policies under President Trump, specifically the Iran conflict and immigration enforcement. He criticized Trump — calling him a disgrace and tyrant — for the U.S.’s involvement in the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, and discussed his concerns about the administration with Leo.

“Illegal wars do not leave just a trail of tears and trauma, but it also harms and brutalize our humanity,” Johnson said in a press briefing after the meeting. “The economic drive with which (Trump) is moving is selfish.”

Johnson said that Leo’s outlook on Trump, however, was mainly a disagreement with his approach to leadership. He also mentioned that Leo’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, is a call to action to avoid war. The encyclical, published May 25, is specifically concerned with preserving humans in the current age of artificial intelligence.

EWTN News, formerly known as the Catholic News Agency, recapped the meeting between Leo and Johnson in an Instagram post on May 28.

While some comments under the post were positive, many were critical of the pontiff. One user called the meeting “pathetic,” citing the current crime and homicide levels in Chicago, and another said the meeting was “horrible PR for the Catholic Church” because of Johnson’s stance that abortion is healthcare.

A commenter also said that Leo’s critique of Trump, but apparent support of a “socialist whose done nothing to stop black on black murder, and is making life miserable for the masses in a once-great city,” doesn’t make sense.

However, others expressed appreciation for the meeting; one user said that while the two are on different ends of the political spectrum, they both understand that “we must all work together for the common good.”

Yet another user mentioned that anyone who says they're Catholic but claims Leo is not their Pope has committed schism, which the Catholic Church views as a canonical crime.

Johnson also invited Leo to visit Chicago, the pontiff’s native city, and offer a Catholic Mass at the city’s Grant Park.

“Ultimately, it will be his decision whether his schedule allows him to come,” the mayor said. “Some of the greatest voices for justice come from the city of Chicago. And that beloved city, of course, birthed Pope Leo XIV.”