ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Leo XIV said Monday that he does not fear the Trump administration and defended the Vatican’s calls for peace after President Donald Trump sharply criticized him over the U.S.-Israel war in Iran. Speaking to reporters while flying to Algeria at the start of an 11-day trip to Africa, Leo said the Vatican’s message of peace and reconciliation is rooted in the Gospel.
Leo said he was not making a personal attack on Trump or any other leader, but he made clear that he would continue speaking out against war. He said the church is not approaching the issue as a political actor and called for dialogue, peace, and multilateral solutions, adding that too many innocent people have been killed.
The exchange followed Trump’s public criticism of the pope on Sunday night. Trump said he did not think Leo was “doing a very good job,” called him “very liberal,” and urged him to stop “catering to the Radical Left.” After returning to Washington, Trump also told reporters, “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo.”
Trump’s comments came after Leo suggested over the weekend that a “delusion of omnipotence” was helping drive the U.S.-Israel war in Iran. AP reported that while disagreements between popes and presidents are not unusual, it is rare for a pope to directly criticize a U.S. leader and equally unusual for a president to respond so forcefully.
The dispute adds a new public dimension to the Vatican’s criticism of the war. Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, said he would continue proclaiming what he sees as the church’s mission: building peace, encouraging reconciliation, and speaking clearly against war.
