Vatican – It is a gesture of profound symbolic weight: amid his open conflict with US President Donald Trump, Pope Leo XIV has awarded the Papal Order of Pius IX — the Vatican’s highest diplomatic honor — to Iran’s Ambassador to the Holy See, Ayatollah Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari. According to available reports, the certificate bears the signature of Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, naming Mokhtari a Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order.
A Pope at odds with the US President
Leo XIV — born Robert Prevost, the first pope of North American origin in the Catholic Church’s two-thousand-year history — has been on an unmistakable collision course with the Trump administration since his election in May 2025. The conflict has centered on three core issues: migration, the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, and nuclear rhetoric.
As early as October 2025, Leo condemned the Trump administration’s migration policies as „inhumane“ — the first public rupture. In spring 2026, he sharply denounced the joint US-Israeli military operation against Iran, conducted under the codename „Operation Epic Fury,“ and spoke of the „delusion of omnipotence“ among those in power. „God does not bless war,“ he declared. Trump’s threat to eradicate Iranian civilization, Leo called „truly unacceptable.“
Trump hit back. On May 4, he accused the pope during a radio interview of being sympathetic to Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. „I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people,“ Trump said. Leo responded without hesitation: „The mission of the Church is to proclaim the Gospel and preach peace. If someone wants to criticize me for that, let them do so truthfully.“
The conflict reached a new low when Trump shared an AI-generated image of himself in a Christ-like pose on his social media channels. The image triggered widespread accusations of blasphemy and was removed shortly afterward. Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, demanded that the Vatican „stick to moral questions“ and stay out of geopolitics.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — normally a close Trump ally — stepped in to defend the pope. On May 7, Secretary of State Marco Rubio flew to Rome for a meeting that lasted more than two hours with Leo and Cardinal Parolin in the Apostolic Palace. The Vatican described the conversation as „cordial,“ while stressing the need to „work tirelessly for peace.“ Leo declined Trump’s invitation to visit the United States. Instead, he traveled to Lampedusa — the Mediterranean island where refugees arrive daily.
Leo left no doubt about his position. While traveling, he stated that he had „no fear of the Trump administration“ and would continue to proclaim the Gospel’s message of peace.
The Order and its significance
The Order of Pius IX — in Italian, „Ordine Piano“ — was established in 1847 by Pope Pius IX and ranks among the Vatican’s highest orders of knighthood. It is typically conferred upon ambassadors and distinguished figures who have contributed to strengthening diplomatic ties and to the cause of peace and dialogue. The honor is usually reserved for heads of state and senior diplomats.
Iran’s ambassador had already written to Leo in July 2025
The award to Mokhtari is the result of a sustained diplomatic rapprochement. As far back as July 2025, the ambassador had written directly to Pope Leo, appealing to him as a global moral authority to speak out against what Iran described as threats by the United States and Israel directed at Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Mokhtari wrote at the time that such statements were not only legally questionable under international law but carried deep religious consequences. „Such affronts transcend politics. They injure the soul of a global religious community,“ he wrote, according to the Catholic news service Zenit.
Iranian state media have framed the award in direct connection with Leo’s public criticism of the military operations against Iran and with the Iranian embassy’s efforts to promote messages of peace and dialogue. An official statement from the Vatican regarding the reasons behind the honor had not been issued at the time of publication.
Trump is going to CRASH OUT when he sees this story
🇮🇷🇻🇦 Pope Leo XIV Awards Iran’s Vatican Ambassador the Grand Cross of the Order of Pius IX
The certificate, signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, names Dr. Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari as a Knight of the… pic.twitter.com/TYVvKNNMPA
— Ryan Rozbiani (@RyanRozbiani) May 12, 2026
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