Pope Leo to Continue Speaking out Against War After Trump’s Direct Attack
Last update: April 14, 2026
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Pope Leo plans to continue speaking out against war.
CBI News notes that aboard the papal flight to Algiers on Monday, April 13, Pope Leo XIV told reporters he plans to keep speaking out against war despite a direct attack from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The first American pope is beginning a 10-day tour to four African countries and used the flight to reaffirm his peace message.
Trump tore into Pope Leo on Truth Social Sunday night, calling him “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” after the pontiff criticised the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. In later remarks, Trump repeated the criticism, said he was “not a big fan” of Pope Leo, described him as “very liberal,” and argued the Pope should focus on religious duties rather than politics. Trump also accused Leo of opposing U.S. actions against Iran and other countries.
Speaking to journalists on the plane, Pope Leo said he has “no fear of the Trump administration” and will not be deterred.
“I don’t want to get into a debate with him,” Leo told Reuters. “I don’t think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing”.
He added: “I will continue to speak out loud against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems”.
Leo stressed his role isn’t political: “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”.
Pope Leo, originally from Chicago, has emerged as an outspoken critic of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in recent weeks and decried the “madness of war” in a peace appeal on Saturday, April 11. He condemned Trump’s rhetoric after the president issued a threat that “a whole civilization would die tonight”.
The Pope said his comments weren’t a personal attack on Trump but a broader warning against what he called a “delusion of omnipotence” driving global conflicts. “Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say: there's a better way to do this”.
On Saturday, Leo issued a global appeal: “Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! It is time for peace! Sit at the table of dialogue and mediation – not at the table where rearmament is planned and deadly actions are decided”. He warned against using religion to justify violence, saying “the holy Name of God… is being dragged into discourses of death”.
This is a rare public confrontation between a sitting U.S. president and a pope, and it centers on the Iran war, U.S. foreign policy, and the role of religious leaders in geopolitics. Pope Leo is the first U.S.-born pontiff and has positioned himself as a spiritual and diplomatic counterweight to Trump.
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