Donald Trump has launched an unusual and scathing attack on Pope Leo over his opposition to US immigration policy and the war in Iran. The US president accused the pontiff of being 'WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy' in a Truth Social post, later telling reporters he was 'not a big fan'.
Pope Leo has been a staunch critic of the war, calling Trump's threat to destroy Iranian civilisation 'unacceptable' and calling for him to find an 'off-ramp' to end the conflict. He has also questioned whether Trump's hard-line immigration policy aligns with the Catholic Church's pro-life stance.
Trump's remarks came as the pontiff embarked on an 11-day trip to Africa, his second major foreign trip since being elected last year. In his post, Trump stated that Pope Leo 'should get his act together' and described him as 'weak on nuclear weapons,' referring to Tehran's attempts to become a nuclear power.
Additionally, Trump suggested that Pope Leo was elected 'because he was American', implying that this was a strategic move to deal with him. 'If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican,' he claimed.
During a subsequent press interaction, he stated: 'I don't think he's doing a very good job... he's a man who doesn't believe in stopping crime, he's a man who doesn't believe we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon.'
The remarks drew immediate criticism from Catholics, with one expert comparing Trump's comments to historical attacks on the Pope. 'Not even Hitler or Mussolini attacked the Pope so directly and publicly,' remarked Massimo Faggioli.
This back-and-forth has caught global attention, as the Pope continues to advocate for peace and de-escalation, urging world leaders to choose peace over conflict.
Pope Leo has been a staunch critic of the war, calling Trump's threat to destroy Iranian civilisation 'unacceptable' and calling for him to find an 'off-ramp' to end the conflict. He has also questioned whether Trump's hard-line immigration policy aligns with the Catholic Church's pro-life stance.
Trump's remarks came as the pontiff embarked on an 11-day trip to Africa, his second major foreign trip since being elected last year. In his post, Trump stated that Pope Leo 'should get his act together' and described him as 'weak on nuclear weapons,' referring to Tehran's attempts to become a nuclear power.
Additionally, Trump suggested that Pope Leo was elected 'because he was American', implying that this was a strategic move to deal with him. 'If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican,' he claimed.
During a subsequent press interaction, he stated: 'I don't think he's doing a very good job... he's a man who doesn't believe in stopping crime, he's a man who doesn't believe we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon.'
The remarks drew immediate criticism from Catholics, with one expert comparing Trump's comments to historical attacks on the Pope. 'Not even Hitler or Mussolini attacked the Pope so directly and publicly,' remarked Massimo Faggioli.
This back-and-forth has caught global attention, as the Pope continues to advocate for peace and de-escalation, urging world leaders to choose peace over conflict.
