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While the world\u2019s attention has been focused on the US-Israel war on Iran<\/a>, President Donald Trump has launched a scathing verbal attack on Pope Leo XIV.<\/p>\n Trump also suggested that Leo was only elected to lead the Catholic Church last year \u201cbecause he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump\u201d.<\/p>\n He also posted<\/u><\/a> an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus, with the US flag and the Statue of Liberty in the background. The post was later removed.<\/p>\n However, Trump has not always been critical of Leo, who is the first American pope. At the time of his election<\/a>, he had called it a \u201cgreat honour for our country\u201d. So why is the US president now picking a fight with the pontiff?<\/p>\n On Saturday, the global leader of Catholics had made a plea for peace amid the war in the Middle East as talks between the US and Iran were underway in Islamabad<\/a>.<\/p>\n The 70-year-old had publicly implored leaders on Saturday to end the violence, telling worshippers at St Peter\u2019s Basilica: \u201cEnough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!\u201d<\/p>\n The Associated Press<\/em><\/a> reported that although the Pope did not mention the US or Trump by name, his tone and message appeared directed at Trump and US officials, who have \u201cboasted of US military superiority and justified the war in religious terms\u201d.<\/p>\n Subsequently, Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, \u201cI\u2019m not a big fan of Pope Leo. He\u2019s a very liberal person, and he\u2019s a man that doesn\u2019t believe in stopping crime.\u201d<\/p>\n He later doubled down on his comments to reporters with a post on Truth Social, saying: \u201cI don\u2019t want a Pope who thinks it\u2019s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cPope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \n <\/a>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n The pope has become increasingly vocal about the US and Israel\u2019s war on Iran, last week condemning <\/a>Trump\u2019s rhetoric and threats against the people of the Islamic republic as \u201ctruly unacceptable\u201d.<\/p>\n The remarks had come after Trump said \u201ca whole civilisation will die tonight\u201d in a social media post that shocked world leaders.<\/p>\n In his Easter message<\/a>, he had also called on world leaders to end the conflicts raging across the world and abandon any schemes for power, conquest or domination. He had even made an unusual direct appeal<\/a> to Trump and urging him to find an off-ramp.<\/p>\n In addition to the war on Iran, Pope Leo has also questioned <\/a>whether the Trump administration\u2019s hardline immigration policies were in line with the Church\u2019s pro-life teachings, and called for a \u201cdeep reflection\u201d about the way migrants are being treated in the US.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone who says, \u2018I am against abortion but I am in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States\u2019, I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s pro-life,\u201d the pontiff said in September.<\/p>\n CNBC<\/em><\/a> reported that he also endorsed a November message from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, who said they were \u201cdisturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement\u201d.<\/p>\n According to the Associated Press<\/em><\/a>, while it\u2019s not unusual for popes and presidents to be at cross purposes, it\u2019s exceedingly rare for the pope to directly criticise a US leader \u2014 and Trump\u2019s \u201cstinging response is equally uncommon, if not more so\u201d.<\/p>\n It is worth mentioning that Trump had also called Leo\u2019s predecessor \u201cdisgraceful<\/a>\u201d in 2016.<\/p>\n Trump won large majorities of Christian voters in the 2024 election. He made gains among Catholic voters, who backed him by a 56 per cent to 42pc margin after splitting more evenly in previous elections, according to an analysis by Ryan Burge, a political science professor at Washington University and a former pastor.<\/p>\n According to a December report by the [BBC<\/em>](https:\/\/With<\/a> one in five Americans identifying as Catholic, the Church plays an important role in American life – and politics.), with one in five Americans identifying as Catholic, the Church plays an important role in American life and politics.<\/p>\n \u201cCatholics like Vice President JD Vance, and influential legal activist Leonard Leo, were an important part of Donald Trump\u2019s electoral success. They are at the heart of the cabinet too, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon holding key offices,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, Vance also announced <\/a>a new memoir centred on his conversion to Catholicism.<\/p>\n Further, Trump and US Defence Secretary have invoked God in public messaging during the war on Iran. Last month, Hegseth had prayed<\/a> during a religious service at the Pentagon that there be \u201coverwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy\u201d.<\/p>\n Trump has also stated that he believes that God approves of the war on Iran. \u201cI do, because God is good \u2014 because God is good and God wants to see people taken care of,\u201d he said last week.<\/p>\n<\/a>Why was Trump so incensed?<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/a>Past criticisms<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/a>Why does it matter?<\/h2>\n