Was Pope Leo Elected Because of Donald Trump?

Michael Driessen is Professor of Political Science and Director of the MA in International Affairs at John Cabot University in Rome. A leading scholar of religion and international politics, he has spent more than a decade studying interreligious dialogue, peacebuilding, and the global role of the Catholic Church. Earlier this year, Pope Leo XIV appointed him as a consultor to the Vatican's Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.In this conversation, Driessen examines why the cardinals elected the first American pope at a moment of profound geopolitical instability, how the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have tested the limits of interreligious dialogue, and why Pope Leo XIV believes an "unarmed and disarming peace" requires something deeper than diplomacy or political negotiation. He explores the changing global order, the Vatican's relationship with the United States, the future of international cooperation in an increasingly polarized world, and whether religion still has a unique role to play in preventing conflict and building lasting peace.Guest bio:Michael Driessen is Professor of Political Science and Director of the MA in International Affairs at John Cabot University in Rome. He teaches and writes on religion and politics, international relations, and the global diplomacy of the Catholic Church. He is the author of The Global Politics of Interreligious Dialogue: Religious Change, Citizenship and Solidarity in the Middle East (Oxford University Press, 2023). In 2026, Pope Leo XIV appointed him as a consultor to the Vatican's Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, where he advises the Holy See on questions relating to dialogue between religions and its contribution to peace in international affairs.