Pope Leo XIV said on Monday that he was not afraid of the Trump administration, hours after President Trump lashed out at the pontiff on social media.
Leo, speaking to reporters on a flight to Algeria ahead of a 10-day tour of several African nations, said: “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.” Asked directly about Mr. Trump’s comments on Truth Social, Leo said: “It’s ironic — the name of the site itself. Say no more.”
Leo’s comments came after Mr. Trump’s lengthy attack on the pope on Sunday night, in which the president accused the pontiff of being “weak on crime” and “catering to the Radical Left.” Mr. Trump also said Leo, the first American pope, should “focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.”
Tensions between the two leaders have risen in recent weeks. The pope has criticized President Trump’s attacks on Iran and appeared to distance himself from efforts by Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, to portray the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran as a Christian mission.
On Monday, Leo said he would continue to publicly oppose war, while downplaying the idea that he was engaged in a direct dispute with Mr. Trump.
“The things I say are not meant as attacks on anyone,” Leo told reporters.
He added: “I do not look at my role as being political, a politician. I don’t want to get into a debate with him. I don’t think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing.”
The pope answered questions during a two-hour flight from Rome to Algiers on Monday, speaking with journalists accompanying him on his tour through Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea.
He added: “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. 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.”
Motoko Rich is the Times bureau chief in Rome, where she covers Italy, the Vatican and Greece.
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