Pope Leo XIV has emerged as a cautious critic of an increasingly force-driven global order, warning that great powers are undermining international law through war. Without directly confronting Donald Trump, he has nonetheless opposed American actions on conflicts and immigration, seeking to reassert Catholic social teaching. His American background gives his interventions unusual weight in U.S. politics, even as many Catholic voters support Trump. The Vatican has clashed with Washington over mass deportations and military assertiveness, while struggling to influence events through diplomacy. Leo’s low-key style contrasts with an era of strongman politics, limiting his immediate impact. Yet he aims to defend a rules-based order through moral authority rather than power.
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Pope Leo XIV has emerged as a cautious critic of an increasingly force-driven global order, warning that great powers are undermining international law through war. Without directly confronting Donald Trump, he has nonetheless opposed American actions on conflicts and immigration, seeking to reassert Catholic social teaching. His American background gives his interventions unusual weight in U.S. politics, even as many Catholic voters support Trump. The Vatican has clashed with Washington over mass deportations and military assertiveness, while struggling to influence events through diplomacy. Leo’s low-key style contrasts with an era of strongman politics, limiting his immediate impact. Yet he aims to defend a rules-based order through moral authority rather than power.