Do we like Pope Leo XIV?
Our score: 7 out of 10. Decent record on migrants, peace and the poor, held back by a Church line on same-sex blessings that LGBTQ+ Catholics find disappointing, and by abuse-handling allegations.
Robert Prevost was born in Chicago and spent years as an Augustinian missionary in Peru. He went on to lead the Augustinian order's Midwest province and later served as bishop of Chiclayo. In May 2025 he became the first American pope. Not your typical Vatican insider arc, and it shows in how he talks about migrants and the poor.
The stoush everyone knows about is with Donald Trump. In April 2026, at the height of the US-Israel war with Iran, Leo condemned a “delusion of omnipotence” behind the conflict without naming anyone. Trump responded on social media, calling him “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy”. Leo hasn't backed down, and plenty of US Catholic leaders sided with him.
On the harm check, the mixed bit is the Church line. Asked about same-sex couples in April 2026, Leo said he wouldn't go beyond Pope Francis's informal, case-by-case blessings, and that the Holy See does not agree with “formalized blessing of couples”. A biography quoted in March 2026 has him saying that changes to teaching on sexuality are “very unlikely” in the near future, while stressing that everyone is welcome. Where you land depends on whether you hear continuity with a welcoming tone or a door staying shut.
On migrants, he's on the side we'd want. He shared social media posts criticising the Trump administration's immigration stance, including a line that Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others, as CBS reported. We found no sign of climate denial, anti-vax claims or conspiracy theorising from him, though we didn't turn up much on his climate record either.
The one real stain is the abuse file. Weeks before he became pope, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests alleged in a Vatican complaint that he mishandled two cases, one in Chicago and one in Peru. The diocese said it followed correct steps, a Vatican investigation found he acted correctly in the Peru case, and some advocates credited him with backing survivors there. Nobody has accused him of abuse himself, and the complaint isn't resolved.
The good stuff is real. Leo finished and published Dilexi te, a document on love for the poor, in October 2025. That fits a man who spent years as a missionary in Peru, and the same instinct runs through his anti-war and migrant statements.