Pope Leo has inaugurated a new style of speech, marked by firmness, during his tour of four African countries this week. He has made numerous strong denunciations against war and inequality, prompting sharp attacks from U.S. President Donald Trump.
This change in rhetoric reflects Leo’s growing concern about the direction of global leadership, according to experts, after maintaining a relatively low profile during the first ten months of his reign.
Trump first called Leo “terrible” on Sunday, seemingly in response to the pope’s criticisms of the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran. He reiterated his criticisms on Thursday, suggesting that the pope did not understand the issues of foreign policy.
The first American pope, speaking earlier today in Cameroon, stated that the world is “ravaged by a handful of tyrants,” without naming specific individuals.
“Usually, popes and the Vatican show caution in matters of international politics, preferring diplomacy to public blame,” said John Thavis, a retired Vatican correspondent who covered three papacies.
“(Leo) seems convinced that the world needs to hear an explicit condemnation of injustice and aggression, and he seems aware of being one of the few people with a global platform.”
THE POPE VIEWED AS A MORAL LEADER ON THE GLOBAL STAGE
The pope, known for carefully weighing his words, largely avoided commenting on the U.S. until March, when he emerged as a fierce critic of the war in Iran.
He only mentioned Trump publicly at the beginning of April, suggesting the president find a “way out” to end the conflict.
In Africa, the pontiff spoke with much firmer language. During his speeches this week in Algeria and Cameroon, he warned that the whims of the wealthiest threaten peace and denounced violations of international law by “neocolonial” world powers.
“Pope Leo is asserting himself as a moral leader on a global scale,” said John Stowe, a bishop from Kentucky, to Reuters.
Stowe, president of an American Catholic organization for peace, emphasized that Leo’s recent messages carry more weight when delivered during a visit to Africa, “facing populations who have experienced war, violence, famine, and chronic poverty.”
THE POPE DOES NOT WANT TO SHOW “COMPLACENCY TOWARDS TRUMPISM”
Popes have long embodied a moral voice on the global stage, loudly condemning situations of injustice. However, they generally strive to maintain the Church’s neutrality in global conflicts, allowing the Vatican to act as a mediator if requested.
This balance of roles is challenging to preserve.
Massimo Faggioli, a papal expert, mentioned the example of Pope Pius XII, who led a clandestine network to shelter Jews during the Holocaust but is criticized by some modern critics for not speaking out strongly enough on the ongoing genocide.
“The specter of Pius XII still lingers,” said Faggioli, a professor at Trinity College, Dublin, explaining why Leo may decide to speak more forcefully today.
“I don’t think he wants the Vatican to be accused of complacency towards trumpism just because he is American.”
LO SPEAKS MORE DIRECTLY THAN HIS PREDECESSOR FRANCIS
Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, spent decades as a missionary and bishop in Peru before becoming pope.
He lived there during a period of intense internal conflict between the Peruvian government and the Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path, as tens of thousands perished in bloody clashes.
“In rural Peru, Prevost… witnessed the ravages of poverty, corruption, globalization of indifference, climate disaster, and government violence against populations,” explained Natalia Imperatori-Lee, a scholar at Fordham University.
“He is uniquely qualified to speak about the dangers of political corruption and violence,” she added.
Pope Francis, Leo’s predecessor, was from Argentina and was also known for his outspoken denunciations of conflicts. He, too, clashed with Trump, who once called him “shameful.”
With his comments this week, Thavis estimated that Leo spoke more forcefully than Francis or any other previous pope.
“Other popes, including John Paul II and Francis, have mentioned the dangers of ideological tyrannies and neocolonialism,” Thavis added.
“But when Leo states that the world is ‘ravaged by a handful of tyrants,’ it seems to me like a much more direct challenge to the leaders of powerful nations.”
