Pope Leo XIV seemingly responded to Donald Trump’s harsh criticism after the US President furiously attacked the leader of the Catholic Church overnight. In a bizarre rant on his social media platform Truth Social, Mr Trump accused the pope of being “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy”.
He added: “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country.”
Pope Leo responded on Monday, seemingly accusing the US President of “abusing” the “message of the Gospel”, though he did not specifically name him.
He told Reuters: “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.”
Speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane, he once again accused the US President of “not understanding” the message of the Gospel, which he is “sorry” about.
He told The Associated Press: “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.”
Pope Leo – who left for an 11-day trip to Africa – previously said that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them”.
He also referenced an Old Testament passage from Isaiah, saying that “even though you make many prayers, I will not listen – your hands are full of blood”.
