I would like to think that this beautiful April of 2026, while the media and social networks repeatedly recreate the confrontation between Emperor Trump and Pope Leo, some readers have remembered – perhaps with a nostalgic smile – the pages ofThe Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. Not exactly because reality imitates fiction, but because, from time to time, history rehashes old episodes with new actors and modern settings. The clash between secular power and spiritual power, which in the 14th century spread throughout Europe, is now resurfacing in the form of heated statements and truculent memes; despite their contemporary appearance, some have a medieval aroma. In Umberto Eco's novel, Emperor Louis of Bavaria and Pope John XXII fight for legitimacy, for who can tell the truth and by what right can they do so. Caught in the midst of incompatible loyalties, the monks in Eco's novel become witnesses and victims of a struggle that was not only political, but also linguistic: whoever controls the word, controls the world. In that book, the word inhabited a labyrinthine monastic library; today, it is hard to understand amidst the media noise. The conflict between Trump and Pope Leo unfolds in a very different setting – confusing press conferences, social networks, shifting speeches – but the underlying question is surprisingly similar. Who has the moral authority to interpret the present, be it that of the Strait of Hormuz or that of devastated Gaza? Who can claim the final word on community, faith, nation, identity, or that very truth which has the bad habit of making us free?Transformed by many of his followers into a kind of Nero-esque imperial figure, Trump acts as a sovereign who tolerates no limits or criticism of his all-encompassing power. Pope Leo reclaims the Church as a counterweight, as a reminder that there are values that cannot be subordinated to any political will. Between the two opens a space of tension that recalls the labyrinth of Eco's imaginary library: a place where each corridor leads to a different interpretation, where truth is always partial, and where books –or televised speeches, or tweets, or memes– can become weapons of massive epistemological destruction. The comparison with the 14th century is not just a literary metaphor. Both then and now, the conflict was not limited to two personal figures in confrontation, but spread like an oil stain throughout society: this polarization didn't start the day before yesterday... Communities also divided, and the –let's call them– intellectuals who took the wrong side ended up in the dungeon. Rumors circulated with the same force –though not at the same speed, obviously– as official decrees. And, as in The Name of the Rose, the dispute over power ended up contaminating daily life, making every gesture, every word, or even every silence acquire a political meaning, generally over-interpreted.

Donald Trump and Leo XIV were on a collision course from day one. A bombastic President of the United States who sends his police to hunt down immigrants and threatens the disappearance of an entire civilization cannot count on papal blessing. And when asked about it, Robert Francis Prevost calmly and with a quiet smile uttered a simple statement: “I am not afraid of the Trump administration,” which, coming from him, seems directly inspired by the evangelical “Do not be afraid.”

Pope Leo XIV is a continuator of the doctrinal line of his predecessor, Francis, but from the very beginning he has sought to differentiate himself by his methods: where Bergoglio was vehement, talkative, and a bit torrential, Prevost has strived to emphasize, in his first year of pontificate, a calm, discreet, and relatively understated way of doing things, seeking to moderate his presence and public expressions.That is why it has caught everyone's attention that the Pope has decided to openly respond to the provocations and impertinences of Donald Trump. The orange pachyderm, who presides over the USA with a guilty verdict in the Stormy Daniels case, and from the very alleged condition of having been a prominent member of Epstein's pedophilia network and now also a war criminal, did not like it that the Pope of Rome reminded him that “God is not on the side of those who drop bombs” on the civilian population. He responded with a couple of insults and a meme in which he himself, Trump, appeared characterized as a kind of stuffed and grotesque Jesus Christ, who acted as if he were about to heal a dying person. The White House had to withdraw the image in the face of protests from Christian associations, but Trump reaffirmed himself in statements in which he maintained that he can indeed heal the sick. Leo XIV, for his part, also reaffirmed himself in his role: he recalled that he would continue to speak out against wars and said, textually: “I am not afraid of the Trump administration.” That a pope finds himself in the situation of declaring that he is not afraid of the president of the country that boasts of representing democratic values is just one of the paradoxes of the days we live in.European citizens (the so-called despised Europe, often by itself, which, however, we need like the bread we eat), educated and/or convinced of the idea of the secularity of states, had perhaps forgotten that religions continue to be important engines of power throughout the world. The episode of the clash between a character like Trump and a pope like Leo XIV reminds us, once again paradoxically: Trump, president-elect, behaves like a parasite of the rule of law, while a figure like the Pope of Rome, of absolutist and theocratic tradition, is the one who defends this rule of law, along with human rights and civil liberties. Meanwhile, a good part of the major wars underway in the world (such as the genocide in Gaza, or the war in Iran) have religious pretexts or backgrounds. And many of the new authoritarian or neo-fascist leaders, starting with Trump himself, proclaim themselves inspired by God or sent by divine providence. Leo XIV (of whom Trump celebrated the fact that he was American, to then add that he had been elected thanks to him) seems to have well understood that —like everything contained in the scriptures— the mandate to always forgive and turn the other cheek should not be taken literally.

The Pope will visit Barcelona and celebrate Mass to inaugurate the Tower of Jesus Christ at the Sagrada Familia. As confirmed by the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), Leo XIV will arrive in Spain between June 6 and 12, "accepting the invitation of King Felipe VI and the Church to Spain." Fifteen years after the last papal visit to the country—Benedict XVI visited in 2011, but Francis died last April without having done so—Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni has confirmed that Leo XIV will visit Barcelona, ​​Madrid, and the Canary Islands (specifically, Tenerife and Gran Canaria). Although the dates and schedule for each trip have not yet been finalized, both the CEE and the Catalan government (Generalitat) assume that the Pope will arrive first in Madrid and then visit the Catalan capital on June 9 and 10. The reason for the Pope's visit to Barcelona will be the inauguration of "the new and tallest tower of the Sagrada Familia," on the centenary of the death of "the brilliant architect who dreamed of the basilica and began its construction, Antoni Gaudí," who passed away on June 10, 192. In statements to Ràdio Estel, the Archbishop of Barcelona, ​​Cardinal Juan José Omella, expressed his satisfaction with Pope Leo XIV's visit to Barcelona: "It is a joy, and we thank the Pope for inaugurating the tower of Jesus Christ, which is the tallest of all the churches in the world." The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, also described the Pope's visit this June as "great news" for the Christian community and Catalan society as a whole, and thanked Leo XIV for his "gesture" in wanting to participate in the events planned for the centenary of Gaudí's death. "We will receive him with open arms," ​​he asserted, adding that the new pontiff represents "universal human values" such as solidarity. In this regard, Isla referred to a visit on June 9th, confirming that the religious authority (CEE) and the Balearic Government are aware that the trip to Barcelona will take place on June 9th and 10th.

After a torrential downpour, a single beacon illuminates the runway of the military airport, where some two hundred select individuals await the arrival of Pope Leo XIV under a tent that casts little shade. On one side, people crowd together; on the other, photographers search for the best angles, while the military band rehearses and the dignitaries march past. The sound of the Vatican plane is heard before it is seen. The crowd, phones in hand, moves between nerves and anticipation. When the twenty-gun salute rings out, more than one person jumps in surprise before looking back up at the sky, half-smiling and with a racing heart.

The President of the Generalitat (Catalan Government), Salvador Illa, met this Wednesday morning with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. The meeting, according to sources within the Government, took place at 8:30 a.m. and lasted half an hour. He was in a private audience at the Vatican, which is why—the Generalitat (Catalan Government) emphasizes—Illa is "the first institutional representative of Spain to be received" by this Pope, who was elected as the new pontiff four months ago following the death of Pope Francis. "It was a very moving conversation for me," Salvador Illa stated after the meeting in statements to the media. Also participating in the audience were the Minister of Justice, Ramon Espadaler, and the Spanish ambassador to the Holy See, Isabel Celaá.

More than four months have passed since the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel announced the election of a new pope, and even today, few in the Vatican dare to draw a more or less accurate profile of Leo XIV. American journalist Elise Ann Allen, Rome correspondent for the Catholic newspaper I creak, he does it in the book Leo XIV: citizen of the world, missionary of the 21st century, which includes the first interview with Robert Prevost since his election to the Chair of Sant Pere.

I have had the grace of meeting Pope Leo, and in his presence I have discovered something more than a shepherd: I have seen a man who listens with the ear of his heart, who speaks with the serenity of one who prays, and whose gaze embraces like a sacrament. His prudence is not a fearful silence, but a wisdom that discerns and dares to point the way. His commitment is not limited to diplomatic gestures: it is a radical commitment to the Gospel, to justice, to peace, and to the care of the Earth, our common home entrusted to us and today in agony.

For centuries, the popes chose the village of Castel Gandolfo to spend the summer because it was cooler than torrid Rome. The first to break this tradition was Francis, but it seems that Leo XIV has decided to resume it, something that its residents await with enthusiasm and curiosity, as will the pilgrims who will follow him, reactivating tourism and local commerce.

Politics often provides strange traveling companions. And if you don't believe it, ask the Pope Leo XIV, who for his proclamation Mass filled St. Peter's Square at the Vatican to the rafters with 200,000 people, including world political leaders of all kinds of attire. Curiously, however, among all the pontiff's colorful guests, few people enjoyed a privilege related to the dress code, which is always monochromatic black when the papal act is solemn. Specifically, these privileged people were the queens of "Catholic countries," who have the privilege of being able to wear white before a pope, an ancient right that surely perhaps they no longer care in the least about, but which the gossip media finds joyful on a workday in which the main story consists solely of explaining something. so horny like a mass.

There was a time when the Mass with which a new pope officially began his pontificate was called the "enthronement," referring to the figure of a monarch, an absolute king, which also characterizes the leader of the Catholic Church. Currently, this term is no longer used, but in practice, the solemn ceremony that marks the beginning of the papacy remains charged with symbolism. Before 150 international delegations and nearly 200,000 faithful, Leo XIV received this Sunday the pallium and the Fisherman's Ring, symbols of the authority of the successor of Peter, and He launched a message in favor of a united Church that acts as a "leaven" for a reconciled world..

This week, a slew of people dressed as the Pope of Rome have been spotted marching through downtown New York City, heading toward Madison Square Garden. The reason? Fans of the NBA's New York Knicks are convinced the new pope has blessed them. They believe the election of Robert Prevost as pontiff will lead them to their first NBA title in decades. Why? Because Prevost attended Villanova University, the same university that produced three of the team's best players: Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges. All three starred for the Villanova Wildcats and were crowned NCAA champions in 2016. Prevost then tweeted an article praising this milestone because he follows the Wildcats' results.

Tomorrow, Thursday, May 15, marks the 134th anniversary of the publication of Leo XIII's encyclical. Rerum novarum (On New Realities). It remains the basis of the Catholic Church's social doctrine and underlines the idea of human dignity and the need to combat the misery and poverty that plagued most workers of his time. The document's objective was to overcome both the depredations of the savage capitalism of his time and the violence then associated with revolutionary movements, and especially with anarchism. Let us remember that we are talking about 1891; the Lyceum bombing, for example, occurred in 1893. The world of Leo XIII was the height of colonialism and industrialization; that of Leo XIV was that of globalization and the second digital revolution, that of AI. These are two comparable realities, to be sure, although great care must be taken not to invoke certain anachronisms. What we now perceive as progress, or as regression, was often interpreted in a very different way in their time. In my little library there is one History of the Popes In four volumes published in Paris in 1841. The author is Amédée de Hertault. They are preceded by a long 64-page introduction by Pierre-Sébastien Laurentie (1793-1876)—in fact, it's a separate essay. Laurentie was an anti-modern, anti-liberal, and legitimist French writer. I believe he was the most reactionary thinker of his time, and undoubtedly the spiritual father of Gobineau and Joseph de Maistre, although he also had a significant influence on Balzac, for example. Reading this introduction, one can see that certain things that attract our attention today went completely unnoticed at that time, and vice versa.

"So you've seen all the Rome ritual on TV?!" Some of my friends, most of them agnostics and republicans, are amazed when I explain that I'm a ritual junkie and that I never miss the election of the Pope, or any royal wedding or funeral, or coronation.

Pope Leo XIV made a firm defense of freedom of expression and of the press and recognized the "courage" of journalists who work in adverse places or circumstances, "even at the cost of their lives." Before thousands of journalists at the first audience of his pontificate, the Pope expressed "the Church's solidarity with journalists imprisoned for seeking and reporting the truth" and called for their release. "Only informed people can make free decisions," the American pontiff affirmed, precisely at a time when the government of his home country is engaged in an open struggle against the media.

Since Thursday afternoon since we have a pope And no: none of the predictions or the occasional Vatican experts' predictions were correct in predicting that the chosen one would be Robert Francis Prevost, a Chicago native but a Peruvian national. In fact, they didn't even come close. And no, the Church hasn't initiated the counter-reformation, as the vast majority of the prescient predictions predicted, nor has it fallen into the hands of the ultra-Catholic sectors that, according to some, had an unbeatable offensive prepared. And no, Pope Francis must not have been as disorganized or as idiotic as some painted him, because the conclave has given continuity to his doctrinal, pastoral, and political legacy. If this had happened after the pontificate of a conservative pope, a crowd of analysts with their eyes rolled back would be talking about the subtlety of a two-thousand-year-old tradition of diplomacy, etc. However, if it happens when the time comes to hand over the reins to a progressive pope, it turns out to be a fluke. The unwritten law of automatic lowering of appraisals when progressives reach—or maintain—levels of power is therefore once again imposed.

When on Thursday the cardinal Robert Prevost stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica As the 267th pope, Chiclayo, in northern Peru, exploded with joy and disbelief. This city, the fifth largest in the country with just under 800,000 inhabitants, was little known until last week, when many people had never even heard of it. For days now, the only thing talked about in Chiclayo is this.

Pope Leo XIV has launched an appeal against war in his first prayer of the Regina Caeli This Sunday at noon in front of thousands of faithful gathered in the Vatican's Piazza Sant'Pere. Quoting Pope Francis, the American pontiff denounced the "current dramatic scenario of a Third World War in pieces" and firmly appealed to world leaders: "Never again war!"

"Peace be with you all." So the pontificate of Leo XIV began. Standing on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, the new spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics launched a plea for peace in his first address to the world. "An unarmed peace," he urged. Despite his affable face and almost trembling voice, the new pope's political program was already evident in his speech. In these turbulent times, the American pontiff's priority will be to achieve an end to conflicts. An ambitious goal that will test the leadership of Francis's successor.

Most early analyses of Leo XIV suggest that the new pope will continue Bergoglio's reforms and that the more conservative sector of the conclave has been severely scalded. At the risk of being wrong, forgive me for disagreeing.