U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday to reporters that he is not a big fan of Pope Leo XIV, making the statement after the head of the Catholic world called for peace, LETA reported citing AFP.
“I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo. He’s a very liberal guy and a guy who doesn’t believe in the necessity of stopping crime,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
Trump criticized the Pope for "playing with a state that wants to get nuclear weapons."
On Saturday, the Pope publicly urged leaders to stop violence, telling the faithful at St. Peter’s Basilica: "Enough with the selfishness and idolatry of money! Enough with the show of force! Enough with wars!"
Trump reiterated his comments on the Truth Social platform: "I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons."
After Trump threatened to destroy Iran on Tuesday, stating that "a whole civilization will die tonight that will never be revived again," the Pope condemned these remarks as "absolutely unacceptable" and urged the parties to "come back to the negotiating table."
Later, the Pope expressed satisfaction with reports of a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, calling it "a real sign of hope."
