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By Giulia Carbonaro and Toby Meyjes
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Pope Leo hit back after President Donald Trump's criticism of him on Monday saying he has "no fear" of the Trump administration in a growing feud over the Iran War.
In comments to The Associated Press aboard the papal plane, the Pope said: “To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is."
"And I’m sorry to hear that but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.”
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He also said, according to the New York Times: “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.”
Newsweek has approached the White House for comment in an email sent outside of regular working hours.
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What Has The Trump Administration Said?
The pontiff’s comments come after reports of escalating tensions between the Trump administration and the Holy See. This included a meeting between Pentagon and Vatican officials in January in which, according to the Free Press, a senior Trump official referred to the “Avignon papacy” - a time in the 14th century when seven popes lived outside of Rome.
A spokesperson for the Department of Defense told Newsweek that reports of the meeting were “highly exaggerated and distorted.”
"The meeting between Pentagon and Vatican officials was a respectful and reasonable discussion," the spokesperson said. "We have nothing but the highest regard and welcome continued dialogue with the Holy See."
After Pope Leo had said on Saturday that a “delusion of omnipotence” was fueling the Iran War, Trump had told reporters that he was “not a big fan” of his.
“We don’t like a pope that’s going to say that it’s okay to have a nuclear weapon. We don’t want a pope that says crime is okay in our cities. I don’t like it. I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo,” the president said after landing at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on Sunday.
Trump accused the pontiff, who has been a staunch critic of the Iran war, of “toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon.”
The president later doubled down on his criticism of the pope on his social media platform Truth Social, writing that Leo “is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.”
He also said that the pope should be “thankful” to him, alleging he was chosen to succeed Pope Francis only “because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.”
“If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” he wrote. “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. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church!” he added.
Trump faced criticism after publishing an AI-generated image on Sunday that represented him as a Jesus-like figure healing an unidentified man.
Former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who broke away from the president after years of loyalty last year, said the image was “more than blasphemy. It’s an Antichrist spirit.”
What Has The Pope Said?
Speaking on Monday, the pope stressed that he was not targeting the U.S. president specifically when he made his anti-war remarks.
“I will not enter into debate. The things that I say are certainly not meant as attacks on anyone. The message of the Gospel is very clear: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers,’” Leo told AP reporters while aboard the papal plane.
“I will not shy away from announcing the message of the Gospel and inviting all people to look for ways of building bridges of peace and reconciliation, and looking for ways to avoid war any time that’s possible,” he added.
Talking about remarks on the president’s social media platform, Truth Social, he said, as reported by the New York Times: “It’s ironic—the name of the site itself. Say no more.”
The pontiff’s criticism of the conflict in the Middle East has become more pointed in recent days as Trump’s rhetoric escalated to the point of threatening the wiping out of “a whole civilisation” in Iran, and, on Monday, Leo said he will continue opposing the war.
“I do not look at my role as being political, a politician. I don’t want to get into a debate with him,” he said, according to the NYT. “I don’t think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing,” he added.
“I will continue to speak out loud against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems. 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.”
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