\n<\/p>\n
Pope Leo XIV responded Monday to President Donald Trump criticising him over the U.S.-Israel war in Iran, telling reporters the Vatican works for peace and reconciliation based on the teachings of the Gospel, adding he fears neither the Trump administration or vigorous debate.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo 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,\u201d Leo told<\/a> the Associated Press aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria where he is beginning an historic four-country Africa trip.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I\u2019m sorry to hear that but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.\u201d<\/p>\n He spoke a few hours after\u00a0Trump labeled him as \u201cWEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,\u201d and added he does not want a Pope who opposes the actions of the Trump administration, as Breitbart News reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n In a post on Truth Social, Trump\u00a0stated<\/a>\u00a0he likes Pope Leo\u2019s brother \u201cmuch better\u201d than he likes the Pope. Trump also noted he does not want a Pope \u201cwho thinks it\u2019s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,\u201d or who \u201cthinks it\u2019s terrible that America attacked Venezuela.\u201d<\/p>\n History\u2019s first U.S.-born pope stressed he was not making a direct attack against Trump or anyone else with his general appeal for peace and criticisms of the \u201cdelusion of omnipotence\u201d that is fueling the Iran wars and other conflicts around the world, the AP report notes.<\/p>\n An infographic titled \u201cPope Leo XIV\u2019s trip to Africa\u201d created in Ankara, Turkiye on April 13, 2026. (Photo by Elif Acar\/Anadolu via Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI 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: \u2018Blessed are the peacemakers,\u2019\u201d Leo said.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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\u2019s possible\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking to other reporters, the AP report notes he added: \u201cI\u2019m not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the Church works for.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cWe are not politicians. We do not look at foreign policy from the same perspective that he may have,\u2019\u2019 the pope said, adding, \u201cI will continue to speak out strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cToo many people are suffering today, too many innocent people have been killed, and I believe someone must stand up and say that there is a better way,\u2019\u2019 the Pope said.<\/p>\n Pope Leo XIV is currently undertaking the first-ever papal trip to Algeria, aiming to promote<\/a> Christian-Muslim coexistence in Africa.<\/p>\n The African continent has long been a troubled zone for followers of the Christian faith.<\/p>\n
![<\/a><\/p>\nAn infographic titled \u201cPope Leo XIV\u2019s trip to Africa\u201d created in Ankara, Turkiye on April 13, 2026. (Photo by Elif Acar\/Anadolu via Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\u201cI 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: \u2018Blessed are the peacemakers,\u2019\u201d Leo said.<\/p>\n\u201cI 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\u2019s possible\u201d<\/p>\nSpeaking to other reporters, the AP report notes he added: \u201cI\u2019m not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the Church works for.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n\n\u201cWe are not politicians. We do not look at foreign policy from the same perspective that he may have,\u2019\u2019 the pope said, adding, \u201cI will continue to speak out strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cToo many people are suffering today, too many innocent people have been killed, and I believe someone must stand up and say that there is a better way,\u2019\u2019 the Pope said.<\/p>\nPope Leo XIV is currently undertaking the first-ever papal trip to Algeria, aiming to promote<\/a> Christian-Muslim coexistence in Africa.<\/p>\nThe African continent has long been a troubled zone for followers of the Christian faith.<\/p>\n](\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2270659083.jpg\"){kind=link}