- 06 October, 2025
Rome, October 5, 2025: In a wide-ranging interview for a forthcoming biography, Pope Leo XIV spoke openly about his unique background as the first U.S.-born and Peruvian citizen pope, offering reflections on the Church’s mission, peace in Ukraine, global polarisation, and even football allegiances.
Speaking to Crux Senior Correspondent Elise Ann Allen, the pontiff described synodality as “an attitude, an openness, a willingness to understand,” insisting that every member of the Church has a voice and role through prayer, reflection, and dialogue. “It’s an attitude which I think can teach a lot to the world today,” he said.
Addressing the growing polarisation in global society, Pope Leo called synodality “an antidote” to the divisions afflicting both Church and world. “If we listen to the Gospel, and if we reflect upon it together, and if we strive to walk forward together, listening to one another, trying to discover what God is saying to us today, there is a lot to be gained,” he said.
Reflecting on his pastoral experience in Latin America, the pope said he drew great inspiration from the Latin American Church’s long tradition of community discernment. “Some of the Latin American Church has really contributed to the universal Church – I think there’s great hope if we can continue to build on the experience of the past couple of years and find ways of being Church together,” he noted.
On the subject of peace, Pope Leo made a clear distinction between the Vatican’s advocacy for peace and its potential role as a mediator in the war between Russia and Ukraine. “The voice of the Holy See in advocating for peace is one thing; a role as mediator is very different and not as realistic,” he explained.
While acknowledging offers to host peace negotiations, the pope underlined the Holy See’s effort to remain neutral. “Since the war began, [the Vatican] has made great efforts to maintain a position that, as difficult as it might be, [is not] one side or the other, but truly neutral,” he said. He stressed that a wider coalition of global actors must work to make warring parties “say, enough is enough.”
“I believe strongly that we cannot give up hope, ever,” the pope added. “We have to continue to encourage people to look at the higher values, the real values, that make a difference.”
Discussing bridge-building in politics and society, Pope Leo said that dialogue is key. He expressed concern that international institutions such as the United Nations have lost their ability to unite nations on global issues. “A lot of people are saying, ‘you’ve got to do bilateral dialogue’… because there are obstacles in the way on different levels for the multilateral things to proceed,” he observed.
He warned that widening social and economic divides are fuelling division, pointing to the vast gap between corporate executives and workers. “CEOs that 60 years ago might have been making four to six times more than what the workers are receiving, the last figure I saw, it’s 600 times more,” he said. “If that is the only thing that has value anymore, then we’re in big trouble.”
On a lighter note, the pontiff—who has lived and ministered in both the United States and Peru—laughed when asked which country he would support in a hypothetical World Cup match. “Probably Peru, just because of affective bonds,” he replied, though adding that as pope, he is “a fan of all the teams.”
Elise Ann Allen’s biography of Pope Leo XIV, featuring the full interview, is due for publication on 18 September.
Source: CRUX
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