Donald Trump has launched an unusual and fierce attack on Pope Leo XIV for his opposition to US immigration policy and the war in Iran.
The American president accused the pontiff of being “weak on crime and terrible at foreign policy” in a publication in Fact Social, and later told reporters that “I was not exactly a big fan of his.”
Leo XIV has not remained silent and has stated that he is “not afraid” of the Trump Administration and that he will continue to speak out against armed conflicts.
The Pope has been a staunch critic of the war, calling Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization “unacceptable” and calling on him to find a “way out” to end the conflict. But, in customary, it is rare for an occupant of St. Peter’s chair to directly criticize the statements of world leaders.
There are more than 70 million Catholics in the US, about 20% of the population. Among them is Trump’s vice president, JD Vance.
Trump’s remarks came as the pontiff began an 11-day trip to Africa, his second major trip abroad since he was elected last year.
Speaking to reporters on his way to Algeria, the Pope stated that he did not want to get into a debate with Trump, but that he would continue to promote peace. He said he did not consider his role to be that of a politician, but rather that of spreading the message of peace.
“I am not afraid of the Trump Administration, nor of proclaiming out loud the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here for, what the Church is here for,” he told reporters.
“I don’t want to get into a debate with (Trump),” he added.
“There are too many people suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say: there is a better way to do this.”
It is unusual for a pope to speak directly about the statements of world leaders.
The US president wrote in a Sunday post that the pope “should wake up” and said technology was “weak on nuclear weapons,” apparently referring to Tehran’s attempts to become a nuclear power, cited as one of the reasons the US and Israel went to war with Iran.
He also suggested that the pontiff was chosen “because he was American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.”
“If I were not in the White House, León would not be in the Vatican.”
When reporters later asked him to explain the post, he said: “I don’t think he’s doing a good job, I guess he likes crime.”
“He is a very liberal person, and he is a man who does not believe in ending crime; he is a man who does not believe that we should mess with a country that wants nuclear weapons so it can blow up the world,” the president added.
The reactions
Trump’s remarks drew immediate criticism from Catholics, with one expert comparing his comments to previous popes’ relationships with fascist dictators during World War II.
“Not even Hitler or Mussolini attacked the Pope in such a direct and public way,” said Massimo Faggioli, quoted by Reuters.
The Pope has used numerous public speeches to denounce global conflicts and urge detente in the Middle East.
When Trump threatened Iran, stating that “an entire civilization will die tonight,” he responded by calling the statement “truly unacceptable.”
In his Easter speech, the pontiff stated, without directly mentioning any country, that people were becoming accustomed to violence and were indifferent to thousands of deaths.
“Let those who have weapons lay them down. May those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace,” he said.
He has also criticized Trump’s hardline immigration policy, questioning whether it was possible for someone to be “pro-life” — a term typically associated with abortion opponents — if they agreed with what he described as the “inhumane treatment of immigrants.”
Pope Leo
Trump called the late Pope “disgraceful.”
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