US President Donald Trump has declined to apologise for his criticism of Pope Leo XIV, following the pontiff’s appeal to end violence in the Iran conflict, reports RTE.
“There’s nothing to apologise for. He’s wrong,” Mr Trump told reporters, a day after making remarks and posting on social media criticising the US-born pope, reports RTE.
“Pope Leo said things that are wrong. He was very much against what I’m doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran,” said Trump, adding that Leo was “very weak on crime and other things.”
Pope Leo XIV has stated he has “no fear” of the Trump administration and intends to continue speaking out against war after earlier direct criticism from Mr Trump, reports RTE.
Mr Trump, appearing to respond to the pope’s increasing criticism of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran and the administration’s strict immigration stance, described Pope Leo as “terrible”.
Speaking onboard a papal flight to Algeria this morning, where the first American pope is beginning a 10-day visit to four African nations, the pontiff also said the Christian message was being “abused”, reports RTE.
He said: “I have no fear of neither the Trump administration nor speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.
“We’re not politicians. We’re not looking to make foreign policy, as he [Trump] calls it, with the same perspective that he might understand it,” reports RTE.
“I don’t want to get into a debate with him,” Pope Leo added. “I don’t think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing.”
“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 said, reports RTE.
“Too many people are suffering in the world today,” said Leo. “Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.”
“Pope Leo is weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy,” Mr Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, reports RTE.
Catholics across social media platforms swiftly criticised Mr Trump for targeting the leader of the Church.
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“There is no ambiguity about the situation now,” Massimo Faggioli said, reports RTE.
He likened the remarks to attempts by leaders in Germany and Italy during World War II to draw Pope Pius XII into supporting their agendas.
“Not even Hitler or Mussolini attacked the pope so directly and publicly,” said Mr Faggioli, reports RTE.
Paul S Coakley, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was saddened by Mr Trump’s remarks.
“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, reports RTE.
Leo, originally from Chicago, is the first American pope. Known for his measured language, he has recently become more vocal in criticising the Iran conflict and condemned the “madness of war” in a peace appeal on Saturday.
Last year, he questioned whether the Trump administration’s strict immigration policies aligned with the Church’s pro-life teachings, reports RTE.
“Someone who says, ‘I am against abortion but I am in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States’, I don’t know if that’s pro-life,” the pontiff said in September, reports RTE.
Mr Trump wrote in his post yesterday that “Leo should get his act together as Pope”, later telling reporters he was “not a big fan” of the pontiff, reports RTE.
Mr Trump’s criticism of Leo also included claims that he was being “weak on nuclear weapons,” coming days after the pope described the US president’s threat to destroy Iranian civilisation as “truly unacceptable”.
During a speech on Palm Sunday last month in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican, the pope said God rejects the prayers of leaders who initiate wars and have their “hands full of blood,” describing the Iran conflict as “atrocious”, reports RTE.
Leo has also urged Mr Trump to seek an “off-ramp” to bring the conflict to an end and reduce violence.
In his post, Mr Trump suggested Leo was chosen as pope last year “because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump”, reports RTE.
The the Vatican did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The pope’s appeal for a more compassionate immigration approach — echoing sentiments expressed by earlier pontiffs — contrasts with Mr Trump’s position that immigration from developing nations should be limited to reduce crime, reports RTE.
“He’s a very liberal person and he’s a man who doesn’t believe in stopping crime,” Mr Trump told reporters last night.
Mr Trump also had a strained relationship with Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, who criticised his immigration policies during his initial presidential campaign and suggested Mr Trump was “not a Christian”, reports RTE.
Mr Trump had described Francis as “disgraceful” in early 2016.
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