Nearly a year has passed since Pope Francis died and his successor, Leo XIV, was elected in a two‑day conclave, the closed gathering of the College of Cardinals to choose a new pontiff.

In a sharp response to the new pope’s criticism of the U.S. attacks on Iran, President Donald Trump claimed that Leo XIV owed his election to him, writing on social media that the pope “was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.”

What struck me most was the sheer scale of the misunderstanding.

Within the Holy See, the idea of an “American pope” has long been viewed as taboo, rooted in........

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