US President Donald Trump on Monday criticized Pope LeoTrump criticized the Pope’s position on global issues, accusing him in particular of being tolerant of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and opposing US military actions abroad.
He also criticized the pope’s comments about the Trump administration, saying Leo highlighted the “fear” of his presidency while ignoring the restrictions churches face during the Covid pandemic.“Pope Leo is weak on crime, terrible on foreign policy,” the US President said on Truth Social. “He talks about the ‘fear’ of the Trump administration, but he doesn’t mention the fear that the Catholic Church, and all the other Christian organizations, were feeling during the coronavirus when they were arresting priests and priests and everyone else, for holding church mass, even when outside, and at a distance of ten or even twenty feet.”The US President also claimed that he does not want a Pope who, in his opinion, supports Iran obtaining nuclear weapons or criticizes US actions in countries such as Venezuela. In defense of his record, Trump said that his administration had achieved record low levels of crime and strong performance in the stock market, stressing that he was implementing the mandate of his election victory. “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s acceptable for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
I don’t want a pope who thinks it’s terrible that America is attacking Venezuela, a country that has been sending huge amounts of drugs to the United States and, worse, is emptying its prisons, including murderers, drug dealers and murderers, into our country. “I don’t want a Pope criticizing the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected to do, by a landslide, setting record low crime numbers, and creating the greatest stock market in history,” he added in a long post on the social media platform.In a personal criticism, Trump said he favored the Pope’s brother, and described him as allied with his “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement. He also claimed that Leo’s elevation to the papacy was unexpected and suggested that it was influenced by his presidency.Trump also attacked the Pope, telling him to “get his act together” and focus on religious leadership rather than politics, warning that such positions are harmful to the Catholic Church.This comes after Pope Leo XIV on Saturday issued a strong appeal for peace, urging world leaders to end ongoing conflicts and reject what he described as a growing culture of force and aggression. “Enough of the worship of self and money! Enough of the show of power! Enough of the war!” The 70-year-old American pope said, warning against what he called “the illusion of omnipotence,” which has become increasingly dangerous and unpredictable.Liu called for a shift towards dialogue, and said that leaders should choose negotiation instead of militarization. “We shout to them: Stop! It’s time for peace! Sit at the table for dialogue and mediation – not at the table where rearmament is planned and deadly actions are decided,” he said. He also warned against invoking religion to justify violence, adding that even “the holy name of God… is being dragged into discourses of death,” and stressed that “true strength is revealed in the service of life.”
“The comments come amid a broader row between the two leaders, with Pope Leo recently urging restraint and diplomacy in global conflicts, including ongoing tensions over Iran.
