Pope Leo XIV has been included in Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people on this planet, marking one other milestone within the early months of his historic papacy.
The 2026 Time 100 list recognises global leaders, innovators, artists and public figures whose ideas and actions have helped shape the world over the past 12 months.
Pope Leo is the primary American-born pope and the primary Augustinian pontiff in greater than 500 years. His inclusion places him amongst a number of the most outstanding names in politics, culture and public life.
Accompanying Pope Leo’s entry within the Time 100 list was a tribute written by acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who praised the brand new pope’s courage and accessibility.
“I’m struck by his bravery and his common touch,” Scorsese wrote.
The Oscar-winning director drew parallels between Pope Leo and his predecessor, Pope Francis, noting that each men appear to share a conviction that the Catholic Church must undergo reform to be able to maintain its moral and spiritual authority.
Scorsese reflected on the challenges facing the Church, pointing to long-standing scandals involving sexual abuse and financial misconduct, in addition to growing secularisation in lots of parts of the world.
“The church is at a crossroads, and it might once more be remaking itself,” he wrote.
He also highlighted Pope Leo’s apparent commitment to strengthening the role of the laity in Church leadership and charitable outreach, echoing Pope Francis’ repeated insistence that the Church just isn’t merely a “constructing or a logo however the actual teachings of Jesus.”
Scorsese further referenced Pope Leo’s recent introduction to a latest edition of The Practice of the Presence of God, the Christian devotional work by Seventeenth-century Carmelite friar Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection.
In the introduction, published in December 2025, Pope Leo reflected on the importance of recognising God’s presence in day by day life.
“All Christian ethics,” the Pontiff wrote, “can truly be summed up on this continual calling to mind the incontrovertible fact that God is present: He is here.”
Scorsese described the book as a robust guide for locating God in on a regular basis life and suggested that Pope Leo’s appreciation for such spirituality reflects his broader vision of bringing faith beyond church partitions and into atypical human experience.
“I’m encouraged by his words,” he said.
Source: https://www.christiantoday.com/news/pope-leo-xiv-listed-among-times-2026-100-most-influential-people
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