Pope Leo XIV has responded to recent criticism from Donald Trump, reaffirming that the Vatican’s message of peace and reconciliation is rooted in the Gospel and not influenced by political pressure.
Speaking on Monday aboard a papal flight to Algiers, where he began an 11-day visit covering four African countries, the first US-born pope said he had no intention of entering into a personal confrontation with the US leader.
“I don’t want to get into a debate with him,” he said, adding that his mission would remain focused on promoting peace and dialogue across nations.
He stressed that he would continue to speak out against war and advocate for diplomatic engagement between states.
“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.”
He also highlighted the human toll of global conflicts, insisting that the world needs stronger voices calling for restraint.
“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.”
His comments follow a social media post by Trump on Sunday night in which he sharply criticised the pope, calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy,” and saying he did not want a pope who criticises the President of the United States.
The exchange was triggered by recent remarks attributed to the pope that were critical of US-Israel military actions involving Iran, which drew a strong reaction from Trump.
