Pope Leo XIV has emerged as a prominent opponent of the global far right, following a similar stance by his predecessor, Francis. The article argues that this position reflects a broader change in the Catholic Church’s political role since the mid-20th century, rather than a sharp break with recent papal tradition.

Before that shift, the papacy and much of the Church hierarchy struggled to accept the rise of republican and democratic movements, which often sought to curb the Church’s political, economic and cultural influence. Catholic political identity was therefore frequently associated with monarchism and opposition to separating Church and state, as well as suspicion of some civil liberties.

In the early 20th century, fascist movements sometimes formed alliances of convenience with Catholicism, offering a promise of restoring what they described as order and harmony. But the defeat of Nazism and fascism in World War II, and the recognition of the atrocities committed by those regimes, led an important part of the Church to reject cooperation with that political tradition.

The change gained force after the long papacy of Pius XII, who served from 1939 to 1958, and amid growing concerns about the threat of nuclear war. After the Second Vatican Council, held from 1962 to 1965, the Church’s leadership increasingly used its diplomatic tradition to support multilateralism, peace negotiations, efforts to combat inequality and human rights. The Church has continued to oppose positions many countries regard as reproductive and sexual rights, including abortion and contraception.

The article also points to the Catholic Church’s increasingly global center of gravity, shifting away from Europe toward Latin America and, increasingly, Africa and Asia. It says defending migrants from these regions is both a matter of justice for the hierarchy and a way of standing alongside a strategically important share of the faithful.

That history, the article argues, helps explain why Francis and Leo XIV would resist the ultranationalist, militaristic and anti-immigration politics associated with Trumpism and movements such as Brazil’s Bolsonarism. The Church is not unanimous: a significant minority of clergy, including some senior figures, may sympathize with the far right. But the article says a major reversal would be needed for them to take control of the institution.

Sources: Folha Ciência.