One year ago, Cardinal Robert Prevost from the South Side of Chicago stepped through the velvet curtains framing the Vatican balcony and into history as the first American to lead the world's largest Christian denomination.
His first words as Pope Leo XIV, “peace be with you.” This message has remained at the core of his first year as leader of the Catholic faith.
Pope Leo embraced his roots from the start, sharing his love for Chicago's deep-dish pizza and the White Sox. His calm, unassuming Midwestern demeanor and message of unity have defined his papacy — but so has a willingness to challenge his American homeland.
Following U.S. military actions in Venezuela and Iran, Pope Leo XIV spoke directly to the cost of conflict.
"Too many people are suffering in the world today, too many innocent people are being killed, and I think someone gets to stand up and say, there's a better way to do this," Pope Leo XIV said in early April.
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President Trump has been direct in his response to the pope's criticism.
"I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo,” Trump said in April at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. “He's a very liberal person and he's a man that doesn't believe in stopping crime. He is a man that doesn't think that we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world. I'm not a fan of Pope Leo.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a devout Catholic, visited the Vatican this week in an effort to ease tensions between Washington and the Holy See. Following that meeting, Pope Leo made clear he would continue to challenge what he views as acts of aggression by the United States.
"Instead of sitting down at the table, solving our problems, and using money to solve our humanitarian issues, hunger in the world, etcetera," Pope Leo XIV said.
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The Vatican has announced Pope Leo will not travel to the United States this year. Some suggest he will wait until tensions ease, with others indicating a visit will only happen after President Trump leaves office.
Across his first year as pontiff, Pope Leo's message has remained consistent — a steady call for peace rooted in the values of the Midwest city that shaped him.
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