Some would like Leo to be more vocal on world conflict, but others say he uses his influence discreetly
As Leo marks his inaugural Easter as pontiff, almost a year after his predecessor’s death, some Catholics are still trying to work out what kind of pontiff he is.
The feast – the most important in the church’s calendar – comes against the backdrop of war in the Middle East, sparked by the US-Israeli strikes in Iran.
Leo, mild-mannered and diplomatic compared with the charismatic but often hasty and divisive Francis, has on more than one occasion indirectly rebuked the actions of US president Donald Trump and the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and on Palm Sunday delivered his strongest condemnation yet when he said God ignores the prayers of leaders with “hands full of blood”.
And while popes rarely criticise world leaders by name, instead railing against their policies, Leo did name Trump on Tuesday when he told journalists he hoped the US president would find an “off-ramp” to end the war in Iran.
