As many of us are aware, recent days have seen some troubling comments made by the President of the United States and some of his supporters regarding Pope Leo XIV.
Without getting into those remarks directly, I'd like to clarify what Pope Leo truly stands for and the broader mission and calling of a Pope.
As the successor of St Peter, the Pope carries on the mission of one of Jesus Christ's apostles. This lineage stretches back nearly 2,000 years.
The Pope provides spiritual leadership to the 1.4 billion Catholics around the world, guiding them in their relationship with Christ, prayer, and the Christian mission that every believer is called to. There are other duties too, but I won't go into those here.
Pope Leo XIV, like all Popes, is centred on Christ--a devout man of God who seeks to lead from this foundation. As a missionary, Pope Leo also maintains a deep, personal connection with the poor and marginalised across the globe.
It's important to remember that Popes are human beings too, with their own unique qualities and interests. For example, Greg Sheridan wrote in The Australian on 14 April 2026, that "... Leo, the first Pope from the US, is no crypto-communist. When he lived in Chicago, Leo voted in Republican primaries.
"He has praised the NATO alliance, showing he's not some leftie who demonises soldiers. He has also said that nations have the right to secure borders and decide who comes into their countries, but that they should do so with dignity and care."
Make your own conclusions from this statement.
Sheridan also mentioned, "What on earth would you expect the Pope to say? Leo is a thoughtful, cautious, sensible, prayerful Pope."
However, as the successor of St Peter and leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV also needs to speak out on global issues.
Recently, he's addressed topics like the actions of African dictators, the conflict in Ukraine, issues involving China, and the Iran war.
Due to Australia's links with US media, we sometimes focus on certain issues, which can give a skewed view of Pope Leo's messages.
In defence of Pope Leo XIV, it's worth noting that he leads primarily as a Christian spiritual guide, not a politician.
As he has said himself, "We need personally to experience the closeness of the Master, to know that we have been seen, loved, and chosen by the Lord by pure grace and without merit on our part." (Pope Leo XIV)