Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo 'using more politics than he should' amid US-Iran war, say Trump supporters

Pope Leo has criticized US President Donald Trump's actions against Iran in multiple instances, leading to a social media squabble between the two leaders.

A combination picture shows Pope Leo XIV addressing Algeria's political leaders at the cultural centre of the Great Mosque of Algiers (Djamaa El Djazair), where he criticized violations of international law by "neocolonial" world powers, in Mohamadia, Algiers, Algeria, April 13, 2026.
 Pope Leo XIV speaks as he attends a meeting with the authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps in Luanda, Angola, April 18, 2026.

Pope Leo denies targeting Trump, says comments misread during Africa tour

AI-generated illustrative image: The world prefers Jews who die, not Jews who fight, the writer says.

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 Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu

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Pope Leo decries leaders who invoke religion for violence and nationalism

"It has become increasingly common to drag the language of faith into political battles, to bless nationalism, and to justify violence and armed struggle in the name of religion," said the pope.

Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai receives a chalice from Pope Leo XIV (R) at a Holy Mass during the pope’s first apostolic journey, in Beirut, on December 2.

'A just and lasting peace': Pope Leo calls for dialogue after meeting Ukraine's Zelensky

The pope's comments echo Zelensky's frequent demands for a "just" peace as the Ukrainian leader tries to ensure that any agreement to end Russia's war in Ukraine is balanced.

Pope Leo XIV addresses the crowd during a meeting with bishpops, priests consacrated persons and personal workers at the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, northeast of the capital Beirut, on December 1, 2025.

Pope Leo scraps Francis’s Vatican fundraising panel amid budget shift

Pope Leo has dissolved the Vatican's fundraising panel, created in Francis’s final months, and ordered a review of future efforts.

 Pope Leo XIV holds a Jubilee audience on the occasion of the Jubilee of Sport, at St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican June 14, 2025.

Pope to end first overseas trip by praying with 100,000 Lebanese at Beirut blast site

Pope Leo urged Lebanon's Christian, Sunni, Shi'ite Muslim, and Druze leaders to unite through respect and dialogue to heal the country after years of crisis.

Pope Leo XIV arrives for a meeting with medical staff and patients at the Sisters of the Cross Hospital in Beirut's northern suburb of Jdeideh on December 2, 2025.

Vatican, Hezbollah flags wave: Pope Leo calls for peaceful dialogue during Beirut visit

Pro-Hezbollah media focused on the Pope's message of dialogue but fears the visit will be merely symbolic, failing to address the "real challenges" facing the country.

Pope Leo XIV addresses the crowd during a meeting with bishpops, priests consacrated persons and personal workers at the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, northeast of the capital Beirut, on December 1, 2025.

Pope Leo in Beirut: Palestinian state 'only' solution to Israeli conflict

"We all know that at this time Israel still does not accept that solution, but we see it as the only solution," Leo, the first US pope, told journalists on a flight from Turkey to Lebanon.

Pope Leo XIV is welcomed by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and his wife Nehmat Nehmeh upon arrival at Rafic Hariri International Airport, during his first apostolic journey, in Beirut, Lebanon, November 30, 2025.

Pope Leo XIV lands in Beirut during first Middle East visit

Pope Leo XIV begins a three-day visit to Lebanon, meeting leaders, touring five cities, and honoring victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion.

Pope Leo XIV disembarks the papal plane upon arrival at Rafic Hariri International Airport, during his first apostolic journey, in Beirut, Lebanon, November 30, 2025.

Maronite Patriarch: Hezbollah needs to 'free itself from Iran, disarm,' denounces Israeli strikes

Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi urged Hezbollah to break from Iran and give its weapons to the Lebanese Army, calling diplomacy the only path to avoid another war.

Pope Leo XIV greets Maronite Patriarch of Antioch, and head of the Maronite Church, cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi during an audience at the Apostolic Palace on October 18, 2025; illustrative.

Pope, patriarchs flock to Turkey to commemorate 1,700th anniversary of critical religious council

Catholic leaders visited the basilica beneath Lake Iznik, believed to be the site of the First Council of Nicaea, after falling water levels revealed the submerged ruins.

Pope Leo XIV takes part in a prayer service with Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, near the excavations of the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytos on November 28, 2025 in Iznik, Turkey.

Pope Leo XIV arrives in tense Lebanon, urging peace amid Hezbollah-Israel strains

Pope Leo's 3-day visit to Lebanon comes as the country faces escalating Hezbollah–Israel tensions. His trip includes appeals for peace, key meetings, and a prayer at the Beirut port blast site.

A billboard depicting Pope Leo XIV, ahead of his planned visit to Lebanon, at the main airport road in Beirut, Lebanon November 21, 2025.