An American Pope Walks the Line Between War Talk and Peace
Amid Trump's Iran strike, the Vatican's first U.S.-born pope, Leo XIV, pursues a measured, diplomacy-first approach, avoiding partisan clashes while urging conscience and peace. Vatican officials and U.S. bishops push back on the war's morality and on immigration policies, with Cardinal Parolin warning against preventive war and Leo signaling a humanitarian, bridge-building stance—culminating in actions like a visit to Lampedusa that contrast with American political rhetoric.
