The current war between the United States, Israel and Iran has driven global tensions to a boiling point. Many NATO allies and other states friendly to the U.S. have been unwilling to join the war effort, and President Trump has responded to their refusals with public condemnations. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, both of whom have tried to maintain cordial relationships with the Trump administration, havesplit with Trump over the Iran war, and have since been targeted both in official policy changes and through social media.

The most surprising target of the President’s ire is Pope Leo. Selected last year to replace the late Pope Francis, Leo is the first ever American pope, and until recently has tried to remain separate from the political sphere, especially in his home country. However, Leo’s commitment to peace and diplomacy has put him at odds with the Trump administration’s more aggressive foreign policy, and the Iran conflict has driven those tensions to a breaking point.

The opening volley

The war of words began with the Pope’s traditional Easter address on the morning of Apr. 5. In his address, Leo implored that “those who have weapons lay them down” and “those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace,” and while he did not mention the current war in Iran directly, his anti-war message was clear.

While the Pope was proclaiming a message of peace, President Trump’s Easter messages were dramatically pro-war. Early on Easter morning, Trump posted a profanity-laced rant on Truth Social, demanding that the Iranian regime “Open the F—in’ Strait [of Hormuz] … or you’ll be living in Hell.” Two days later, on the morning of April 7th, Trump doubled down, claiming that “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” if Iran did not capitulate.

In the ensuing days, Pope Leo continued to position himself as anti-war and criticized world leaders for seeking war rather than diplomacy. When speaking to the leaders of the Chaldean Church (a subset of Middle Eastern Catholics) on April 10th, Leo said that the world was marked by “absurd and inhumane violence,” and argued that the Church must “never [be] on the side of those who yesterday wielded the sword and today launch bombs.”

Though Pope Leo largely avoided discussing Trump by name during this period, journalists did manage to get a more direct answer from him during interviews. When asked about Trump’s threat to annihilate Iran’s civilization, Pope Leo described the comments as “truly unacceptable,” arguing that Trump had violated both international law and basic morals. Other Catholic leaders, including Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, also directly named Trump, with Coakley saying in a statement that he “[calls] on President Trump to step back from the precipice of war and negotiate a just settlement for the sake of peace and before more lives are lost.”

Trump on Truth Social

On the evening of April 12th, Trump turned his attention, and his social media ire, to Pope Leo. He made a 334-word post on Truth Social in which, among other things, he described the Pope as “WEAK on crime and terrible for Foreign Policy,” claimed that priests were getting arrested during the Covid pandemic for holding church services, asserted that Pope Leo would not have become pope had Trump not been president, accused Pope Leo of being an “Obama Sympathizer” and stated that he didn’t want “a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States.” He concluded by saying that Pope Leo’s focus on politics hurts both the Pope and the Catholic Church more broadly. Later that night, he shared an AI-generated image of himself as a Christlike figure, shrouded in golden light and healing a sick man in a hospital bed.

Reactions to these posts were immediate and harsh, especially from the Catholic community. Bishop Robert Barron, a conservative Catholic and member of Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, described Trump’s remarks as “entirely inappropriate and disrespectful,” while numerous leaders of Catholic-aligned political organizations called on Trump to apologize. When asked about the President’s attacks against him, Pope Leo finally mentioned Trump by name, saying that he has “no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel.”

J.D. Vance and theological disputes

With tensions rising between Pope and President, observers and journalists turned to Catholic members of the Trump administration, including Vice President JD Vance, to try and ease the tensions. Vance has instead held firm to the Trump administration’s platform, saying on April 14th that the Pope should be more careful when talking about theology and that his claim that God is never on the side of warmongers is historically inaccurate.

Vance has also disputed the Pope’s interpretation of Just War Theory, a Catholic doctrine originating with Saint Augustine that describes when a state can legitimately engage in war. Notably, Pope Leo is a member of the Order of Saint Augustine, and his scholarship primarily centers around Augustine’s thinking and writing. Leo began his current tour of Africa by visiting the city where Augustine lived in the 400s and has discussed Augustine’s views on just war theory (among other things) in his speeches.

Threats of Avignon

While the Trump Administration and the Vatican have been publicly feuding in the last few weeks, there are reports that further tensions between the two parties have occurred in private. On April 6th, The Free Press initially reported that meetings between the U.S. Department of Defense and the Vatican’s representatives had become tense as far back as January of 2026. Further reports have examined the context of those meetings in some detail, with most reporting indicating that the American position effectively argued that the U.S. could do anything it chose and that the Vatican should side with the Trump administration’s choices.

The most concerning part of those reports centers on the allegation that Department of Defense officials had mentioned the Avignon Papacy during their conversations with the Vatican. The Avignon Papacy occurred during the 1300s, when the King of France sent his army to arrest Pope Boniface VIII. After Boniface’s death, the French royals forced the Papal Conclave to elect a French pope, who refused to move to Rome and instead moved the papal court to Avignon, where the French monarchs could directly control both who was elected pope and what the pope could say.If those alleged threats are true, the implications are disturbing. The Avignon Papacy happened when a major world power forced the Catholic Church to obey its demands through military force. It is unlikely that the United States would use military force against the Vatican, but it was enough of a concern that the Pope has canceled his planned visit to the US amid the heightened tensions.

Photo by Channel 82 via Uplash.

Who Was Pope Francis?

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, passed away Monday, April 21 on Easter Monday—a day rich in symbolism for Christians around the world. 

Originally from Argentina and the first non-European pope in more than a millennium, he leaves behind an indelible legacy within the Catholic Church. And yet, looking back, nothing seemed to predestine Bergoglio to ascend to the highest position in the church. Named after St. Francis of Assisi, his humanist values and simple lifestyle became the cornerstone of his papacy. But what lessons can we draw from his time as pope?

A Reformist Pope?

The choice of the name Francis was far from trivial. A Jesuit by background — an order rooted in education, service and social justice — Pope Francis aligned himself with the ideals of St. Francis of Assisi, who preached humility and poverty. His papacy was marked by a deep concern for the oppressed and for the structural inequalities that divide humanity.

One of his most visible battles was against xenophobia, particularly condemning the actions of western governments toward migrants. These efforts demonstrated his deep commitment to humanitarian causes. In a world increasingly marked by division and fear of the “other,” Pope Francis embodied the belief that love and compassion can still guide us.

He broke long-standing taboos when he famously said, “If a person is gay and seeks God and has goodwill, who am I to judge?” Later in his papacy, he went further, authorizing blessings for same-sex couples. These gestures, though modest by some standards, represented significant steps toward a more inclusive church. In this way, Pope Francis sought to break with the past and champion a vision of Christianity rooted in love and acceptance — principles that defined his 12 years at the helm of the Vatican.

Some Things Never Change

Despite his progressive image marked by strong advocacy for human dignity and condemnation of growing inequalities, Pope Francis faced serious criticism for his handling of sexual abuse scandals within the Church. This deep-rooted issue, which continues to tarnish the institution, was not met with the decisive action many had hoped for. Although he issued some condemnations and initiated reforms, his response was often seen as tepid and inconsistent.

The recent revelations surrounding Abbé Pierre only reinforced this perception. While Pope Francis claimed that the Vatican became aware of Abbé Pierre’s misconduct years after his death, multiple sources indicate the Vatican had knowledge of his Abbé Pierre’s wrongdoings  as early as 1955. ​​Pope Francis’ approach to the issue underscored the complex institutional dynamics and longstanding patterns in how the Church has addressed abuse allegations in the past.

Despite this scandal, Pope Francis nonetheless leaves behind a vision of hope and compassion. But now, the question turns to the future: What comes next?

What Can We Expect From the Upcoming Conclave?

According to church tradition, a new pope is elected within 15 to 20 days of the previous pope’s death. A conclave — a gathering of cardinals tasked with electing the next pope — will soon convene. As dramatized in Edward Berger’s recent film Conclave this process is often full of intrigue and unpredictability. While there may be favorites, the final choice frequently defies expectations.

This election carries significant weight. Pope Francis expanded the church’s global reach by appointing numerous cardinals from Africa and Southeast Asia and championing a more inclusive worldview. But with democratic institutions retreating and nationalist movements gaining momentum across Europe and the United States, the progressive momentum he initiated now hangs in the balance.

The next pope will have enormous influence over the church’s direction. With more than 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, his voice will matter. Beyond theological and social priorities, he will also face the urgent task of reforming the Vatican’s finances and, most critically, addressing the institutional failures that have allowed sexual abuse to persist.