Pope Leo says he has no fear of Trump after criticism
Pope Leo said pope leo will continue speaking out against war and does not fear the Trump administration after Donald Trump launched a sharp public attack on the pontiff. The comments came on Monday as Leo flew to Algeria at the start of an Africa tour and responded to escalating criticism over his remarks on the US-Israeli war on Iran. The exchange has opened a fresh political rift and drawn immediate reactions from figures in Italy and beyond.
Leo doubles down on war criticism
On the papal flight to Algeria, Leo said he would keep pressing the case for peace, dialogue and multilateral relationships among states. “I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems, ” he said, adding that he did not want to get into a debate with Trump.
He also rejected the idea that his role is political. “I do not look at my role as being political, a politician, ” Leo said, stressing that the message of the church is that “blessed are the peacemakers. ”
Trump had attacked the pope hours earlier, calling him “WEAK on crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy. ” He also wrote that he did not want a pope who thought it was acceptable for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
Trump escalates the clash
The president’s criticism followed Leo’s recent remarks warning against war and what he described as a “delusion of omnipotence” behind the conflict in Iran. Leo had previously said military action would not create space for freedom or times of peace, and he repeated his opposition to the war in terms that did not name Trump directly.
Trump later repeated his attack in comments to reporters, saying, “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo, ” and suggested the pontiff was too liberal and should stop catering to the radical left. He also posted an image that appeared to show himself in robes in a Jesus-like pose.
Immediate reactions in Italy
The dispute quickly reached Italian politics. Matteo Salvini, a senior member of the government and head of the far-right League party, defended Leo and said attacking the pope did not seem useful or intelligent. Matteo Renzi, the former prime minister, said it was a duty to defend the pope and described him as a bridge builder.
Giorgia Meloni stayed largely out of the public argument on Monday, even as the clash landed at a politically sensitive moment for her government.
Context around the papal critique
The confrontation began after Leo wrote that God does not bless any conflict and that military action would not lead to peace. Trump answered on Sunday evening with a broadside that also linked the pope’s criticism to his own views on Iran and Venezuela.
The tension is unusual because open criticism between a pope and a US president is rare, especially when it comes so soon after Leo’s increasingly frequent denunciations of the war in Iran.
What happens next
Leo is now continuing his Africa tour, which includes Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. The remarks suggest he intends to keep pressing his message despite the attack, and pope leo is now set to remain a central voice in a widening political and religious confrontation over war, peace and the role of faith in public life.
