The American in the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV, is the first American to lead to 1.4 billion Catholics.

And now, after nearly a year of advocating for the poor and cautiously opposing controversial U.S. policies,

Leo is offering a more public contrast with President Trump, condemning leaders who use God to justify war.

On this Easter weekend, how political will the former missionary become?

And how much influence can the American Pope have tonight on Compass Points?

Hello. Hello and welcome to Compass Points. Last Easter Sunday, 2025, Pope Francis met Vice President J.D. Vance at a moment of political

tension, and the Pope who had long advocated migrants, took issue with President Trump's immigration policy.

That meeting would be one of Pope Francis's last.

Weeks later, American-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected and became Pope Leo the 14th.

In the last year, he has been less outspoken than his predecessor and largely avoided the T-word, Trump.

But he's advocated for multilateralism

and criticized war and those who wage it while embracing his role as custodian of the church.

To discuss Pope Leo's first year, his influence on U.S. foreign policy, and what his recent criticism

says about his future approach, I'm joined by Joseph Kapizzi, Dean of the School of

Theology and Religious Studies at the Catholic University of America.

Father Thomas Rees, a senior analyst at Religion News Service.

Annie Selik, visiting scholar at Georgetown University Center on Faith and Justice.

And Stephen P. White, the executive director of the St. John Paul

the Second National Shrine here in D.C. Thanks very much, all of you. Welcome to Compass Points.

Pope Leo is an American, which makes him a unique pope at a unique moment with an untraditional

American president. Jessica, Peezy, start with you.

How does that shape his approach to the papacy, if at all?

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