The pontiff’s criticisms of Donald Trump’s illegal war in Iran indicate a welcome resolve to follow in his predecessor’s footseps
O
ne year after the death of Pope Francis, the Vatican this week hosted the premiere of a documentary tribute by Martin Scorsese. For a pontiff whose charisma and crowd-pleasing style helped cut through to a secular audience, marking the anniversary with the help of one of the world’s most famous film directors was a nice touch.
Francis’s successor, Leo XIV, is a far less flamboyant personality. In his inaugural year in St Peter’s chair, the first pope to come from the United States has generally taken a cautious, circumspect approach to his role. But it turns out that an aura of mildness and restraint makes him no less effective when criticising the posturing that passes for Christian piety in Donald Trump’s Washington.
Francis clashed fiercely with Mr Trump over immigration and the climate emergency. Famously, he also took on JD Vance regarding St Augustine’s theory of love, which was misused and manipulated by the Catholic vice-president to justify demolishing the US aid budget. A blunt pontifical letter to US bishops, clearly written with Mr Vance in mind, pointed him in the direction of the parable of the Good Samaritan and “the love that builds a fraternity open to all”.
