Pope Leo marks his first anniversary leading the Catholic Church this Friday, having significantly elevated his public profile and intensified his schedule, drawing the disapproval of US President Donald Trump. The first US-born pontiff recently concluded a four-nation African tour where he sharply condemned war and despotism.
His increasingly vocal stance follows a period of a relatively low profile during his initial ten months, before he attracted criticism from Mr Trump after speaking out against the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Pope Leo is now expected to release his inaugural in-depth teaching document this month, prepare for a week-long visit to Spain in June, and undertake five trips across Italy through July.
Experts suggest this accelerated pace and forceful tone, first observed in Africa, will likely continue, reflecting the Vatican’s growing concern over the direction of global leadership. Washington Cardinal Robert McElroy, a close ally of the Pope, told Reuters: “Pope Leo has become the singular clarion voice in our global community about the need for peace and safeguarding human dignity.”
“(Leo) has shown an ever-growing willingness to apply the Gospel with specificity to the glaring violations of human rights that surround us,” said McElroy, referring to the Bible chapters describing the life of Jesus. The pope is due to meet on Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in his first known in-person meeting with a Trump cabinet member in nearly a year.
Rubio expects a “frank conversation” with Leo to discuss Trump administration policies, the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See said on Tuesday, as Trump `again criticized the pope on Hugh Hewitt’s right-wing radio talk show.
Began Papacy as largely unknown figure
Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, was selected by the world’s cardinals on May 8, 2025, to lead the 1.4-billion-member Church after a two-day secret conclave in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.
He succeeded Pope Francis, who largely sought over a 12-year tenure to open the often-staid institution to the modern world. Prevost, who spent decades as a missionary and bishop in Peru before becoming a senior Vatican official in 2023, was a quiet supporter of Francis’ papacy but a relative unknown on the world stage. He was on some lists of possible new popes but not widely seen as a front-runner.
In his first months, Leo largely steered clear of hot-button issues. But he began criticizing Trump’s hard-line immigration policies in September, drawing backlash from conservative U.S. Catholics. After he criticised the war in Iran, Trump bombarded him with insults on social media, calling him “weak” and “terrible”.
On his 10-day Africa trip in April, the pope warned that the whims of the world’s richest threaten peace, decried violations of international law by “neocolonial” global powers, and said the world was “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants”. Leo later clarified to reporters that the speeches for the tour were written weeks ahead of the trip and not aimed directly at Trump.
Visiting Lampedusa, but not the US
Leo will spend his first anniversary visiting the Italian cities of Pompei and Naples, about 250 km (155 miles) south of Rome, where he will pay homage at a Catholic shrine and lead several events.
“If a particular leader feels attacked by Leo’s words, maybe that is their problem and not the pope’s,” said Gibson.
The trip is the first of five inside Italy culminating on July 4 with a visit to Lampedusa, an island south of Sicily lately known as the first port of call for desperate migrants making the perilous voyage from North Africa to Europe. The choice to visit the island on the day the U.S. celebrates the 250th anniversary of its independence has drawn attention, at a time when the Trump administration says Europe faces “civilisational erasure” from allowing immigration. The visit was announced in February, shortly after the Vatican said Leo would not travel to his home country this year.
Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich told CBS News in April that by going to the island, the pope is “sending a message that his top priority right now is to be with those who are downcast and marginalised.” The Vatican has not announced the publishing date for the pope’s first in-depth teaching document, known as an encyclical, but it is widely expected to come out before the end of May.
The text is expected to address a number of ethical challenges facing the world, including the rise of artificial intelligence. The pope will likely also speak about the world’s ongoing conflicts and its leadership. David Gibson, a Vatican expert and academic at Fordham University, said Leo will address universal values and not just Trump or any other specific leader.
