Leo XIV’s warning to international bodies over their promotion of ideologies rather than genuine aid, and a papal condemnation of Western attacks on free speech, were eclipsed only by a revelatory liturgical leak that prompted fresh ridicule for Cardinal Roche in recent days.
Diplomats accredited to the Holy See must surely have been buzzing with interest as they awaited Leo XIV’s first State of the World address on 9 January. Would the American Pope adopt Trump-style rhetoric, or would he draw on his time in Peru and continue the South American style embodied by his predecessor?
