During his visit to Angola, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that he does not seek further disputes with Donald Trump. These statements came after the former U.S. president expressed dissatisfaction with the pontiff over his stance on the conflict in Iran.
Pope Leo XIV has made it clear that he does not intend to engage in public disputes with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the conflict in Iran. He explained that his speech in Cameroon about "tyrants devastating the world" was prepared long before Trump's criticism and was not directed personally at him.
"But it was perceived as if I were trying to start a new discussion with the president, which I have no interest in," the pontiff told reporters aboard the plane heading to Angola on April 18.
Deterioration of Relations Between the Pontiff and the White House
On April 11, during a global prayer vigil for peace, Leo XIV, the first American to occupy the Holy See, addressed the leaders of the conflicting powers. He urged them to cease hostilities and begin negotiations, "not at a table where rearmament is planned and decisions about deadly actions are made."
In response to this appeal, Donald Trump sharply criticized the pontiff, calling him "terrible" on foreign policy issues. He made a loud statement on the Truth Social platform: "I don’t need a pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I am doing exactly what I was elected to do."
Additionally, the president published and then quickly deleted an AI-generated image depicting him in the guise of Jesus. This act sparked outrage even among some religious conservatives who are typically loyal to Trump.
The head of the Roman Catholic Church, for his part, emphasized that all calls from the Vatican for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel. He also added that he does not fear the current U.S. administration.
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