• The Pope has adopted a progressive stance on migration, in line with his beliefs that the Church should focus on the most vulnerable.
• This policy has placed him in opposition to many world leaders, yet his popularity and support persist.
• Pope Leo has been advocating for migrants long before his election as Supreme Pontiff.

Why is Pope Leo XIV HOT?

Answer: The first supreme pontiff from the US, Pope Leo XIV has taken a progressive stance on migration, challenging the status quo set by world leaders. 

Pope Leo XIV, formerly Robert Francis Prevost, is the 267th Bishop of Rome and the leader of the Catholic Church. According to canon law, there is no earthly force above the Supreme Pontiff. As the sovereign of Vatican City and the head of the Holy See, the Pope exercises supreme legislative, executive, and judicial authority within the Catholic Church. This hierarchical power structure places the Pope at its center and creates a unique dynamic in the modern world. The Pope’s personal leadership extends beyond administration, shaping Church doctrine, its spiritual direction, and influencing its public image. Reflecting the centrality of the Pope, canon law treats the rejection of the Pope’s authority as grounds for excommunication. 

During his first year as Pope, his progressive policy on migration has become one of his most popular ones. As someone who comes from an immigrant background, Pope Leo first outlined this policy in an address during the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, and it was later fleshed out in his first Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te (‘I Have Loved You‘).

This doctrine is a continuation of his predecessor Pope Francis, who outlined the need to welcome, protect, promote, and integrate migrants. Pope Leo’s attitude towards this group falls under the wider belief that faith cannot be separated from the love of the poor, and since migrants are one of the most economically challenged and vulnerable parts of society, they have to be treated with dignity. These principles are also present in his statements against the concentration of wealth and the pursuit of conflict. 

Most recently, during his visit to Spain, he made migration the central theme of his trip, as he delivered a prominent address to the Spanish parliament urging them to respect the dignity of migrants. In Spain, he visited Madrid, Barcelona, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife. After his trip to Spain, in July, he then travelled to Italy, to Lampedusa, one major European hotspot for migrants crossing from Africa, reinforcing his message through visits to communities at the forefront of the migration crisis.

What is changing Pope Leo XIV’s heat level?

Answer: Despite some challenges from within and outside the Catholic community, the Pope and his migration policy are still gaining popularity.

Unlike secular leaders, the Pope is not subject to elections, term limits, or formal mechanisms of removal. Instead, his effectiveness depends largely on maintaining legitimacy among both the Catholic hierarchy and the laity. To this extent, he has been successful. According to the latest End-of-Year (EOY) survey conducted by Gallup International, he was the only global leader to record a net positive approval rating.

Among the 64,097 respondents surveyed, 49% expressed a favorable opinion of the Pope, compared with 25% who viewed him negatively. These findings suggest that, despite his increased outspokenness on social issues and his comparatively progressive approach, he has maintained broad public support during the first year of his pontificate.

His popularity is not limited to the wider Catholic community. His positions on issues such as war, artificial intelligence, and migration have gained increasing public attention, particularly through their contrast with the positions of right-wing leaders. This has encouraged influential members within the Church to express greater support for the Supreme Pontiff.

That support built up over the following months. In October 2025, Pope Leo held a private meeting with Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso (who also chairs the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’  Committee on Migration (USCCB)) and El Paso Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Celino, alongside representatives from the Hope Border Institute. He met separately with Chicago labor leaders the following day, as migrant-related tensions escalated in his hometown of Chicago. The following month, in November 2025, the USCCB issued a special message concerning the treatment of migrants in the U.S.

However, not all members of the Catholic leadership are aligned with the pontiff. On July 2nd, Pope Leo XIV excommunicated the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) following the group’s consecration of four bishops without papal approval. The group has been on the fringes of the Catholic community since its inception.

While this episode highlights the Pope’s authority, it also shows the internal divisions surrounding Pope Leo XIV’s progressive direction. Excommunication is one of the harshest punishments available to the Supreme Pontiff, and with it, Pope Leo XIV risks further straining relations with the nearly 600,000 Catholics associated with the movement. This decision also represents one of the most significant moments of internal Church tension since the split between the Catholic Church and the Old Catholic movement in 1870.

What is driving Pope Leo XIV?

Answer: As a son of immigrants himself, Leo brings a deeply personal dimension to the matter that influences his time as Pope. 

Pope Leo XIV’s father has Sicilian roots, while his mother has a mixed Creole heritage from the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Pope Leo XIV worked in Peru for nearly two decades as a missionary, eventually becoming a citizen of the country and bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo. His time as bishop has always been aligned with his advocacy for immigration. In 2017, he aided Venezuelans fleeing to Chiclayo with their regularisation process. He highlighted how he and Jesus were migrants, a rhetoric he continues to use. 

As the first Pope from the United States, Pope Leo XIV has to navigate the political sensitivities of his home country’s increasingly restrictive immigration policies. The U.S. has a Catholic population of 53 million, the fourth largest in the world, and contributes 14.2 million euros to Peter’s Pence, therefore, it has personal and practical importance for Pope Leo.  His vocal advocacy for migrants gained particular momentum following immigration crackdowns in his hometown of Chicago. He publicly supported the efforts of U.S. bishops calling for the humane treatment and dignity of migrants held in ICE detention facilities. Despite criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump and Border Czar Tom Homan, Pope Leo XIV has remained unwavering in his advocacy for migrants. 

Despite conflicts with US leadership, his popularity remains high. Amongst all demographics, he is viewed favorably, ranging from 73% to 85%, with an average of 78% of all Catholics viewing him positively (down from 84% the previous year). Today, 51% of respondents agree that Trump has been excessively critical of Pope Leo, while only 19% believe the opposite. Notably, his popularity is most divergent across political lines: Republican Catholic favorability fell 12 points over the past year, more than double the 5-point drop among Democratic Catholics over the same period. It raises questions of whether the Pope’s progressive stance is another point of division for a leader who desires unity.

Even so, Pope Leo outpolls President Trump among most voter groups, including Democrats and independents. The one notable exception is the Republican group, among whom Trump remains more popular than the Pope. Therefore, the president of the U.S. does not really affect the Pope’s important base of support in the country. 

What does this mean for you?

Answer: Pope Leo XIV is offering an alternative narrative on migration without fundamentally changing the Catholic Church’s broader ideological foundations.

Despite a distinct lack of military and economic power, Pope Leo XIV demonstrates that the Catholic Church, and religious institutions like it, remain influential actors in international affairs. The Vatican instrumentalises public discourse through speeches, diplomatic engagement, and moral authority to legitimise its approach to global issues. Migration has become one of the clearest examples of this dynamic. Pope Leo’s framing of migration as a question of human dignity rather than border security offers an alternate narrative to the policies propagated by world leaders.

Even though the Vatican cannot compel governments to change their policies, understanding Pope Leo XIV’s position and how it influences the political environment in which those decisions are made is crucial. It provides insight not only into the future of the Catholic Church but also into the role of non-state actors in defining issues of the twenty-first century.

That being said, the Catholic Church still holds many conservative policies at its core. The Holy See has rejected blessings for homosexual couples, openly opposing Archbishop Reinhard Marx’s efforts to permit the same, despite Pope Leo’s comments that morality should not have a uniquely sexual nature. Concerning abortion, Pope Leo is in staunch opposition, likening it to the suppression of life. Concerning the position of women as ordained ministers, the supreme pontiff has rejected the notion despite acknowledging their importance to the institution. In the same speeches where he advocates for the humane and dignified treatment of migrants, the Pope makes it clear where his boundaries lie.