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The Pope v the President: How Leo became Trump’s fearless foe
As the pontiff steps up his criticism of the Iran war, his American background has given him a role in US politics unlike any predecessor.
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The US-born Pope Leo XIV, a low-profile cardinal a year ago, has of late become a rallying point for critics of President Donald Trump.
PHOTOS: AFP, ANNA ROSE LAYDEN/NYTIMES
Amy Kazmin, Lauren Fedor and Amy Mackinnon
“I have no fear of the Trump administration,” the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church said this week, as he became a global rallying point for critics of the US President.
In the past few days, Pope Leo XIV, a low-profile cardinal just a year ago, has traded barbs with Mr Donald Trump, the most powerful man in the world. The dispute is more reminiscent of the rivalry between mediaeval popes and emperors than of the Vatican-White House cooperation that helped win the Cold War.
