His roles include leader of the Roman Catholic Church, bishop of Rome, head of the Holy See, and, recently, at least unofficially, chief antagonist of US President Donald Trump. But while Pope Leo XIV has told reporters that “we are not politicians” in the church, religion experts said being political is all part of being a pope. “Historically, the pope as a public figure has commented on geopolitics, whoever that pope might be at the time,” said Sarah Riccardi-Swartz, assistant professor of religion and anthropology at Northeastern University. “That’s not abnormal.”
Elizabeth Bucar, professor of religion and dean’s leadership fellow at Northeastern, agreed. “The idea that religion and politics should be separate is a myth in the United States,” Bucar, who describes herself as a “lapsed Catholic,” said. “The idea that a pope should not be political misunderstands the role of the papal office,” said Bucar.
