Pope Leo: The American-born pontiff who emerged as a powerful critic of Trump’s war in Iran

The Pope welcomed the announcement of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East with “great satisfaction” on Wednesday, following a rare intervention to condemn Donald Trump’s threats against Iran.Pope Leo has emerged as an outspoken critic of the conflict in recent weeks, taking a strong stance often in clear opposition to the Trump administration’s policies.After Trump threatened Iran on Tuesday that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if the country did not meet US demands for a truce, the pontiff told reporters that the threat was “truly unacceptable” - an unusual step to respond directly to a world leader.His appointment last year as the first US-born leader of the Catholic church has put focus on his relationship with the president, whose foreign conflicts and immigration policies he has publicly pushed back on. And this week, a report citing a contentious meeting between a Catholic official and the Pentagon suggested the pope may not return to the US while Trump remains in office.Pope Leo XIV addresses the crowd from the window of the apostolic palace on 6 April, amid concern over the war in the Gulf (AFP/Getty)Who is Pope Leo?Robert Prevost, 70, made history last May when he became the 267th pope – the first time in the Church’s 2,000-year history that a US citizen was chosen to lead the church.Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1955, Prevost grew up in the city’s south suburbs, where he lived in Dolton with his parents and two brothers. He studied canon law in Rome before working in Peru. By 2001, he was elected prior general of the worldwide Augustinian order, a post he held for two six-year terms. By 2025, he had been appointed to the most senior rank of cardinals. He took over from Francis last May.Prior to his election as pope, some questioned his candidacy, due to his relatively young age and inexperience. Some speculated that cardinals would also wish to select a European. Leo has been described as a “dignified middle of the road” leader, compared with his predecessor, who was considered progressive. Last year, he publicly voiced opposition to remarks by Vice President JD Vance on the theological concept of “ordo amoris.” he wrote that Vance was “wrong” as “Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others”.Donald Trump (L) and his defence secretary (R) face criticism over their rhetoric around the war (AFP/Getty)As Pope, Leo has also condemned Donald Trump’s anti-immigration policies, describing the administration's treatment of foreigners living in the United States as “extremely disrespectful” in November. He said individual countries have a right to police their borders, but that many immigrants in the US are “living good lives” and they were being treated “in a way that is extremely disrespectful, to say the least.”Leo urged people in the US to “look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have”.What has he said about the war in Iran?Pope Leo on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire in the Iran war, hours after calling Trump's threat against the population of Iran “unacceptable”.“In light of these past hours of great tension for the Middle East and for the whole world, I welcome with satisfaction... the announcement of an immediate two-week truce,” Leo said in his weekly audience.He added: “Only through a return to negotiation can an end to the war be achieved.”Those comments came only hours after he criticised Trump directly over his threat to destroy “a whole civilisation” unless Iran came around to a deal. Trump has threatened to destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran.Pope Leo XIV leads the Easter Vigil on 4 April (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)“There was this threat against the entire people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable," he said, adding: “There are certainly issues here of international law, but even more than that, it is a moral question for the good of the (world's) people.”Leo continued with an unusual appeal, saying, “I would invite the citizens of all the countries involved to contact the authorities -- political leaders, congressmen -- to ask them to work for peace.”Leo also said that many have called the conflict an “unjust war”, suggesting the hostilities go against the Catholic Church’s pro-life teachings.Trump and his defence secretary employed Christian rhetoric throughout the unpopular war. He called the rescue of a downed US airman an “Easter miracle” and suggested airstrikes have God’s blessing. Defence secretary Pete Hegseth has gone further, citing scripture to justify the use of “overwhelming violence” against adversaries.Firefighters, first responders, and volunteers work on smouldering debris at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, on 8 April (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)Addressing tens of thousands of faithful in St Peter’s Square on Palm Sunday, Leo said that God rejects the prayers of leaders who start wars and have “hands full of blood”.“(Jesus) does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: 'Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood',” he said, citing a Bible passage.At the end of March, he made another direct appeal to Trump, urging him to find an “off-ramp” to end the war.