All posts tagged: Pope

Newly discovered purple-winged moth named after Pope Leo XIV

Newly discovered purple-winged moth named after Pope Leo XIV

Published by Jenni Sidey

Purple wings, orange-gold markings, and crisp white bands make the newly described moth hard to miss. That is part of what makes its late recognition so striking. In the White Mountains of western Crete, researchers have identified a previously unknown species now named Pyralis papaleonei, or the Pope Leo moth. The insect is medium-sized, with a wingspan of about two centimeters, and belongs to a showy group of moths that entomologists have collected and studied for generations. Even so, this one had remained hidden in plain sight. The name points in two directions at once. It reflects the moth’s regal look, and it honors Pope Leo XIV. Study leader Peter Huemer of the Tyrolean State Museum Ferdinandeum said the name also carries a broader appeal, linking the species to the need for environmental protection at a time of mounting biodiversity loss. That mix of beauty, symbolism, and scientific surprise runs through the discovery. Pyralis spp., habitus. 2. P. papaleonei sp. nov., holotype, ♂; 3. P. papaleonei sp. nov., paratype, ♂; 4. P. kacheticalis, ♂, Georgia; …

New moth species named for Pope Leo

New moth species named for Pope Leo

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Pope Leo XIV receives gifts from visitors from all over the world every year, but a newly identified insect may be the first papal tribute of its kind. In the journal Nota Lepidopterologica, entomologists describe a striking moth species recently discovered on the rocky Mediterranean island of Crete. With its royal color scheme and ecological significance, the winged insect lives up to its scientific name—Pyralis papaleonei, or the Pope Leo moth. “The Pontiff is a strong advocate of climate and environmental protection, and we hope that his voice may serve as an example for humanity,” the study’s authors wrote. P. papaleonei is the latest in a series of taxonomic revisions within the Peralis regalis species group. Although common across Europe, their widespread presence has proven a liability for entomologists. Recent re-evaluations have uncovered multiple unique subspecies among these often overlooked moths. P. papaleoni represents the newest addition to the family, after researchers from Austria’s Tyrolean State Museum, the Finnish …

Rubio plans to visit the Vatican this week as tensions between Trump and the pope rise

Rubio plans to visit the Vatican this week as tensions between Trump and the pope rise

Published by Sam Flores

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Rome and Vatican City this week in a bid to ease rising tensions between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV over U.S. policies, particularly the Iran war. The State Department said Monday that Rubio, a Catholic who with this trip will have visited Italy or the Vatican at least three times as the Republican president’s top diplomat, would be in Italy on Thursday and Friday. The Vatican announced that Rubio would meet with Leo, the first American pontiff, on Thursday. “Secretary Rubio will meet with Holy See leadership to discuss the situation in the Middle East and mutual interests in the Western Hemisphere,” the department said. “Meetings with Italian counterparts will be focused on shared security interests and strategic alignment.” The trip comes as Trump has criticized Leo for his stances on the Middle East and elsewhere and as the president has drawn pushback for posting a social media image likening himself to Jesus Christ. Trump lashed out at Leo on social media …

Themes of peace and human dignity have been central to Pope Leo as he marks his first year in office

Themes of peace and human dignity have been central to Pope Leo as he marks his first year in office

Published by Sam Flores

(The Conversation) — When he was elected pope on May 8, 2025, Robert Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV, greeted the crowd with Christ’s words to his disciples: “Peace be with you.” Peace has become a central theme of the pontificate of the first American pope. In recent months, opposing the war in the Middle East, Leo has said that the “world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.” He led a “Prayer Vigil for Peace” on April 11, 2026, in which he criticized how the name of God has been used to justify war and death. He has also said that “military action will not create space for freedom” because true freedom can come only from patient dialogue. Prayer vigil for peace. Combined with his calls for peace is Leo’s equally outspoken emphasis on human dignity. In an age where power is concentrated in the hands of a few, the pope has urged Christians to make a “radical choice in favor of the weakest.” Technological advances, especially the rise of artificial intelligence, …

Jeremy Pope Wore Archival Vivienne Westwood to the Met Gala

Jeremy Pope Wore Archival Vivienne Westwood to the Met Gala

Published by Jenni Sidey

Vivienne Westwood’s fall 1996 collection marked the late British designer’s official foray into menswear, with two sensationally beaded and corseted evening jackets as its ultimate hero pieces. On Westwood’s catwalk, these dual pieces were styled with piratey headscarves and black wool trousers. One of them, named “Martyr to Love,” will be in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute’s spring exhibit, “Costume Art,” which opens to the public this Sunday, May 10. Its twin, “Slave to Love,” walked the Met Gala mossy faux cobblestone carpet tonight on Jeremy Pope. This year’s dress code, “Fashion Is Art,” drew numerous interpretations ahead of the actual gala—most of which connected with the corporeal realm, or the many ways the body itself serves as the ultimate costume. Apropos of the theme, Pope’s Westwood evening jacket boasts a trompe l’oeil torso: On its front, myriad pearls conspire to create a beefy, musclebound body—pecs high and tight, abdomen blocky and bulging, waist as snatched as can be. Its back side, covered in large, bloody lacerations accentuated by dangling ruby-red droplets, tells …

US’s Rubio to visit Italy after Trump’s spats with Meloni, Pope Leo – POLITICO

US’s Rubio to visit Italy after Trump’s spats with Meloni, Pope Leo – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The visit comes just weeks after Trump attacked Pope Leo over the Catholic leader’s anti-war rhetoric, calling him “Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons” and “terrible for Foreign Policy.” That came after  Leo wrote on X  that “God does not bless any conflict.” Trump also shared an AI-generated image of himself as a Christ-like figure. Following rebukes from religious circles and some of his political allies, Trump removed the image. Trump also dismissed Prime Minister Meloni — who has been one of his closest European allies — as lacking courage after she defended the pontiff. For his part, the pope responded to Trump’s criticism by saying he had “no fear” of the White House and would not be silenced. Rubio met with Leo, the first American pope, in May last year, alongside U.S. Vice President JD Vance after the two attended the new pontiff’s inaugural Mass in St. Peter’s Square. There is no indication at this point whether Rubio will meet directly with the pope this week or with Meloni. Source link

The Pope Goes on an ICE Ride-Along

The Pope Goes on an ICE Ride-Along

Published by Daniella Wilson

“Is this you inviting the pope on a ride-along?” Benny Johnson asked at a recent Turning Point USA event. “Yes,” Border Czar Tom Homan said. * Although they had removed the license plates from the popemobile, it was still pretty conspicuous, as far as modes of ICE transit went. In compliance with the spirit of the ride-along, the pope was wearing a face mask and full body armor, but in compliance with his role as pope, he was also wearing his tall, ceremonial miter and holding a ferula. “Is this really necessary?” the border czar said. “Yes,” said the pope. “You wanted to sit down and explain things to me. Here I am. For our ride-along. I have accepted your gracious invitation.” Grumbling, the border czar climbed into the popemobile. “Hungry?” the pope asked. He produced a CAVA bag from the depths of his robes. “I got us lunch to share. It is a CAVA bag with food in it. Just food, nothing else.” The border czar scowled. “I thought you weren’t making political commentary.” …

The American Pope vs. the American President

The American Pope vs. the American President

Published by Daniella Wilson

American presidents and popes have clashed before, but the battle of words and wills between Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV is unprecedented. The distinctiveness of their clash is not due mainly to the fact that Robert Francis Prevost is the first American-born pope, though that is significant. After all, Leo can’t be dismissed as a foreigner who is speaking about a country and culture he doesn’t understand. When he is critical of America, on matters ranging from war to mass deportation to those who “manipulate religions and the very name of God,” it comes from a place of love and devotion. Nor does it have to do solely with the nature of the disagreements, most specifically the war waged by Trump against Iran. Past popes have criticized past presidents for going to war. What makes the Trump-Leo collision most unusual is the manner of the disagreement, not on the part of the pope—whose criticisms have been direct but restrained—but on the part of the president. Elizabeth Bruenig: A blasphemous president No president has ever …