Pope Leo
The controversy between Mr. Trump and the Pope continues with Mr. Vance and the bishops’ opinions
President Donald Trump continued his feud with Pope Leo in a post on Truth Social, calling Iran’s possession of a nuclear bomb “absolutely unacceptable.”
In a speech in Cameroon on April 16, Pope Leo
“Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging what is sacred into darkness and filth,” Leo said during a tour of four African countries. “This is a world turned upside down, an exploitation of God’s creation, and must be condemned and rejected by every honest conscience.”
The pope’s remarks came in the wake of attacks on social media in which President Trump shared AI-generated images depicting himself as Jesus-like and other religious images. President Trump called Leo “soft on crime” on April 12, and criticized him in another post for defending the Iran war on April 14.
Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born head of the Catholic Church, was highly critical of armed conflict and reiterated his position on April 16, saying, “The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes but a moment to destroy, but a lifetime is often not enough to rebuild.”
Earlier this week, Leo said, “I have no fear of the Trump administration and I will not speak out loud about the gospel message.”
Both President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, who is Catholic, have been increasingly critical of the Pope, sparking a backlash from conservative Catholics in the United States.
Internationally, the Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mulally endorsed the Pope on April 16, urging the Anglican Church to follow his lead. Mulally plans to travel to Rome in late April to meet with Leo.
Mulally, who was appointed in October as the first female archbishop to lead the Church of England, said: “I join the courageous call of my brother in Christ, Pope XIV, for a kingdom of peace.”
“The human cost of war is incalculable as innocent people are killed and displaced, families torn apart and futures destroyed. It is the call of all Christians and all people of faith and goodwill to work and pray for peace. We must also appeal to all those entrusted with political authority to pursue all possible peaceful and just means of resolving conflicts.”
This story has been updated to add new information.
Contributed by: Reuters
