Several leading European bishops that represent Catholic interests in the European Union have stated that a significant concern for them that is shared by the Vatican is the exclusion by the United States of the EU from key international negotiations, such as peace talks regarding the war in Ukraine.
The comments from the bishops followed a meeting with Pope Leo XIV on Friday, 23 May. Bishop Mariano Crociata, president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), when asked whether he believed a US-born pope would be more effective in engaging in dialogue with US President Donald Trump and his administration, told Crux: “We simply expect it.”
