Trump attacks Pope over criticism of Iran war
Trump attacks Pope over criticism of Iran war
Donald Trump, the US President, delivered a pointed critique of Pope Leo, focusing on his disagreements regarding immigration policies and the conflict in Iran. In a Truth Social post, Trump labeled the Pope as ‘WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy,’ later stating to journalists that he ‘wasn’t a big fan’ of the pontiff.
Pope Leo has consistently opposed the war, describing Trump’s assertion that ‘a whole civilisation will die tonight’ as ‘truly unacceptable’ and urging the identification of an ‘off-ramp’ to resolve the situation. Additionally, the Pope has raised concerns about the compatibility of Trump’s strict immigration measures with the Catholic Church’s pro-life principles.
The comments followed Pope Leo’s initiation of an 11-day African tour, marking his second significant international visit since assuming office. On Sunday, Trump’s post criticized Pope Leo for ‘not having his act together,’ suggesting he was ‘weak on nuclear weapons’ in relation to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, which were cited as a key justification for the U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran.
Trump further implied that Leo’s election was ‘due to his American identity, with the belief that it would effectively address the challenges posed by President Trump.’ When questioned by reporters, Trump elaborated, ‘I don’t think he’s doing a very good job; he likes crime,’ he said. ‘He’s a very liberal person, and he doesn’t believe in stopping crime. He also doesn’t think we should engage with a nation seeking nuclear capabilities to potentially destroy the world,’ he added.
“Not even Hitler or Mussolini attacked the Pope so directly and publicly,” said Massimo Faggioli, quoted by Reuters.
The critique sparked swift backlash from Catholic groups, with Massimo Faggioli, as reported by Reuters, noting that ‘Not even Hitler or Mussolini attacked the Pope so directly and publicly.’ Pope Leo has utilized multiple public speeches to condemn global conflicts and advocate for peace in the Middle East. During his Easter address, he addressed the growing tolerance for violence and apathy toward mass casualties, urging, ‘Let those who have weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace.’
