Will an American Pope ever go head-to-head with an American president? Pope Leo XIV prays before to close the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica on the Feast of the Epiphany, at the Vatican, on January 6, 2026. In any case, the chances of a papal reprimand are not great, not in the case of Robert Prevost (aka Pope Leo). Pope Leo XIV, who has shown himself to be a timorous pontiff, may speak in generalised and indirect terms about the need to uphold a liberal global order, but he is unlikely to risk a head-to-head confrontation with Trump. “You now need someone who can speak truth to American power.”Is Pope Leo XIV that “someone”?

Source: Irish Examiner February 02, 2026 01:00 UTC