Pope Leo fires back with cutting retort after Trump savages him and poses as Jesus Christ: ‘No fear’
Pope Leo, the first U.S.-born pontiff, has fired back after President Donald Trump lashed out at him over the Iran war.
Trump derided Leo as “terrible” in an unusual, direct broadside against the leader of the Catholic church, who responded by vowing to continue denouncing war and suffering.
“I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do,” Leo told reporters Monday. “I don’t want to get into a debate with [Trump].”
“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,” the pope continued aboard a papal flight to Algiers, where he is embarking on a 10-day tour to four African countries.
“Too many people are suffering in the world today,” he said. “Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.”
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was also disheartened by Trump’s comments.
“Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls,” he said in a statement.
Trump is facing widespread backlash for his comments, and for sharing an AI picture of himself as Jesus.
“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” Trump wrote in a stunning 334-word Truth Social post Sunday night while flying back to Washington, D.C. from Florida.
“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” he continued. “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States.”
Trump claimed Leo — formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost — was elected pope only because he is president, and slammed him for meeting with David Axelrod, former senior advisor to President Barack Obama, last week.
“Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician,” the president concluded.
Less than an hour later, Trump posted an AI image portraying himself as Jesus appearing to heal a sick man, encircled by bald eagles and fighter jets.
He continued his tirade against the pontiff when his plane touched down, telling reporters on the tarmac: “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo.”
