Papal Politics, Past and Present |
Foreign & Public Diplomacy
It was a long-held belief among historians and Vatican journalists alike that an American cardinal was unlikely to be elected pope. Given the United States’ superpower status, the Catholic Church would inevitably worry that elevating an American to the papacy would give the country too much influence.
Yet on May 8, 2025, Cardinal Robert Prevost became not only the first pope born in North America, but also the first to hold U.S. (and Peruvian) citizenship. In his opening address on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV spoke of his desire to transcend national boundaries, encouraging listeners to “build bridges, with dialogue, with meetings, uniting us all to be one people, always in peace.”
It was a long-held belief among historians and Vatican journalists alike that an American cardinal was unlikely to be elected pope. Given the United States’ superpower status, the Catholic Church would inevitably worry that elevating an American to the papacy would give the country too much influence.
Yet on May 8, 2025, Cardinal Robert Prevost became not only the first pope born in North America, but also the first to hold U.S. (and Peruvian) citizenship. In his opening address on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV spoke of his desire to transcend national boundaries, encouraging listeners to “build bridges, with dialogue, with meetings, uniting us all to be one people, always in peace.”
It wasn’t immediately clear what Leo’s call would mean in practice. Compared to Pope Francis, who was known for his off-the-cuff remarks to journalists, Leo was initially more reserved and refrained from calling out any world leader by name. Yet as war in Iran escalated in March, Pope Leo spoke out, not just in broad terms but also by addressing U.S. President Donald Trump by name and calling his threat to end civilization in Iran “unacceptable.”
Verbal sparring between secular and religious leaders is hardly unprecedented. Disagreements between popes and political figures go back to the Middle Ages, and they have played a significant role in shaping the church and its position in the world. But while the dramatic medieval history of papal-political spats, including the 11th century Investiture Controversy and the Avignon papacy, have gotten most of the attention, the current tensions can be best understood by looking at the political role played by popes after World War II.
Since then, a series of popes have consistently spoken out in favor of international peace, often clashing directly with world leaders in doing so. This suggests that, amid the U.S. president’s rapidly shifting policies, the first American pope is likely to persevere in his international advocacy, even if that puts him at odds with the United States’ president.
A Reformation-era woodcut depicts the struggle between Martin Luther, Calvin, and the Pope. The caption reads: “Oh look in wonder, dear Christ, how the Pope, Luther and the Calvinist have got in each other’s hair. God help all those who have gone astray.” Culture Club/Bridgeman via Getty Images
Understandably, discussions of papal politics tend to focus on the premodern era. In 325, Byzantine Emperor Constantine I called for the Council of Nicaea, resulting in the first ecumenical council in the church’s history and the eponymous Nicaean Creed. On Dec. 25, 800, Pope Leo III crowned the king of the Franks, Charlemagne, as emperor. And in 1053, the Norman commander Robert Guiscard, who would eventually be excommunicated three separate times, took Pope Leo IX prisoner after defeating his........