Pope Leo told Reuters on Monday that he plans to continue speaking out against war after US President Donald Trump’s direct attack on the leader of the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church.
In comments aboard the papal flight to Algiers, where the first American pope is starting a 10-day tour to four African countries, the pontiff also said the Christian message was being “abused.”
“I don’t want to get into a debate with him,” Leo told Reuters as he greeted journalists on the plane. “I don’t think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing.”
The pope’s remarks came just hours after Trump launched an unusual, direct attack on the pontiff, calling him “terrible” and “weak on crime” in a post on Truth Social.
‘Someone Has to Stand Up’
Leo made clear that he would not be silenced.
“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, speaking in English.
“Too many people are suffering in the world today,” said Leo. “Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say: ‘There’s a better way’.”
The pope, originally from Chicago, has emerged as an outspoken critic of the US-Israeli war on Iran in recent weeks and decried the “madness of war” in a peace appeal on Saturday.
Pope: ‘I Am Not a Politician’
Leo declined to engage directly with Trump’s insults but reaffirmed his spiritual mission.
“The message of the church, my message, the message of the Gospel: Blessed are the Peacemakers. I do not look at my role as being political, a politician,” he said.
Trump, in an apparent response to the pope’s criticisms of both the Iran conflict and the White House’s hard-line immigration policies, wrote late on Sunday: “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.”
Leo, who is embarking on a 10-day tour of Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, said he would not be drawn into a political debate. His focus, he made clear, remains on peace.
Why This Matters
The open conflict between a sitting US president and the pope is unprecedented in modern history. Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, also had a rocky relationship with Trump, but Francis was never attacked this directly and publicly.
For the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, Trump’s attack on their spiritual leader is deeply offensive. For the broader global community, it represents a further erosion of the moral authority that religious leaders have traditionally held in international affairs.
Pope Leo has made clear he will not back down. Trump has shown no sign of restraint. The clash between the White House and the Vatican is now out in the open.
Sources: Reuters
