Yaounde, Cameroon. Pope Leo has debuted a more forceful speaking style during a four-nation Africa tour, issuing sharp denunciations of war and inequality that have prompted repeated attacks from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Shift in tone during Africa visit
The change in rhetoric reflects Leo’s growing concern about the direction of global leadership, experts said, after he maintained a relatively low profile during the first 10 months of his papacy.
In speeches this week in Algeria and Cameroon, the pope warned that the whims of the world’s richest threaten peace and decried violations of international law by “neocolonial” global powers.
Trump’s attacks and the pope’s comments on the Iran war
Trump first attacked Leo as “terrible” on Sunday, in what was described as an apparent response to the pope’s criticisms of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. He criticized the pope again on Thursday, suggesting the pontiff did not understand foreign policy issues.
Earlier on Thursday in Cameroon, the first U.S. pope said the world was “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants,” without naming individuals.
Experts cite departure from Vatican caution
“Normally popes and the Vatican are cautious when it comes to international politics, preferring diplomacy to public censure,” said John Thavis, a retired Vatican correspondent who covered three papacies.
“Leo seems convinced that the world needs to hear explicit condemnation of injustice and aggression, and he seems aware that he is one of very few people who have a global pulpit.”
Public references to the United States and Trump
The pope, known for choosing his words carefully, mostly avoided comment about the U.S. until March, when he emerged as an outspoken critic of the Iran war.
He mentioned Trump by name publicly for the first time at the beginning of April, suggesting that the president find an “off-ramp” to end the war.
What do you think Pope Leo’s sharper rhetoric could mean for his role in international debates?