Popes have long been political players on the world stage. In recent times, John Paul II worked with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan to bring down the Berlin Wall. Benedict XVI addressed a joint sitting of the House of Lords and House of Commons, as well as the Bundestag, reminding politicians that they are not gods or social engineers.
Francis will be remembered as the pope who gave the Chinese Communist Party influence over the choice of bishops. The world has been waiting to see what Leo’s contribution to the geo-political situation might be.
The first whiff of papal political smoke appeared with Leo’s address to diplomats, delivered at the Vatican on January 9, 2026. It included an endorsement of the two-state option for Gaza and a recognition that “war is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading” and that this mentality threatens the rule of law. It legitimizes the practice of states violating the borders of others for no other reason than to promote their own strategic objectives.
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