The first American pope has become the most visible opponent of Donald Trump on the international stage, even if he did not seek that role, Church historian Massimo Faggioli told Poland's PAP news agency.
Pope Leo XIV received US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican on Thursday, a day before the first anniversary of his election as pope on May 8, 2025.
Born Robert Prevost, Leo XIV is often described as the least American of Americans because of his long service outside the United States, including in Peru.
Faggioli, a professor of ecclesiology at Trinity College Dublin and former professor at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, said the defining moment of the pope’s first year was his confrontation with Trump.
The dispute intensified in April, after Leo XIV appealed for peace in Iran and called on Christians to end war and the "demonstration of power." Trump responded on Truth Social, saying the pope was "terrible" on foreign policy.
Faggioli said such a clash had no clear precedent in modern times. He noted that Polish-born Pole John Paul II opposed the US-led invasion of Iraq under President George W. Bush, but did not ask American voters to press Congress to de-escalate the war, as Leo XIV has done.
"The pope has become the voice of the opposition, even if he did not want to," Faggioli said, as quoted by the PAP news agency. "He is today the most visible opponent of Donald Trump on the international stage."
Trump criticized the pope again this week in an interview with The Hugh Hewitt Show, saying Leo XIV believed Iran should be allowed to possess nuclear weapons, a claim the pope rejected.
"For years, the Church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt on that point," Leo XIV said on Tuesday, according to Vatican News. He added that dialogue was a better way to solve current crises than supporting the arms industry.
Faggioli, whose upcoming book is titled Leo XIV and the Global Church: Unity and Peace, said the pope's central message has been peace. He added that this does not mean the Vatican will directly broker peace between Russia and Ukraine.
"The Vatican does not work that way," Faggioli said. "The pope wants to be a moral voice that helps different religions and nations live together."
Faggioli said Leo XIV has been cautious on divisive moral issues such as abortion, preferring to speak on humanitarian questions. He also said the pope’s frequent references to unity may help him bridge divisions between conservatives and liberals in the Catholic Church.
Pope Leo poses for a photo with the players and managers of Italian football club Inter Milan at the Vatican on Saturday. Photo: EPA/VATICAN MEDIA via PAP
According to Faggioli, Rubio’s presence at the Vatican on Thursday could help ease tensions between the Holy See and Washington. He said Rubio, as a professional politician, understood that "lecturing the pope on how to be a Catholic," as some members of the Trump administration have done, was not a good idea.
Public polling suggests Leo XIV has a stronger image among Americans than Trump.
An NBC News survey conducted earlier this year found that 42 percent of US voters viewed the pope positively and 8 percent negatively. Trump was viewed positively by 41 percent and negatively by 53 percent.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, vaticannews.va