Trump one of 'handful of tyrants' hurting world? Pope gives his answer
Pope Leo XIV (Photo: Getty Images)
Pope Leo XIV stated that his speech criticizing the handful of tyrants who devastate the Earth with war and exploitation was written long before the spat with US leader Donald Trump began, reports Politico.
The pontiff spoke with journalists on Saturday aboard his plane flying from Cameroon to Angola as part of his 11-day tour of Africa. Leo XIV sought to clarify the situation regarding his speech earlier this week, in which he criticized the handful of tyrants who devastate the Earth with war and exploitation.
His speech was delivered at a peace meeting in Bamenda, Cameroon. The city is the epicenter of a separatist conflict that has been raging in the western English-speaking region of the country for nearly a decade.
Thus, according to the Pope, his phrase about tyrants, like the speech itself, was written two weeks ago, long before Trump's criticism began.
The pontiff emphasized that his sermon was not directed against the US president but reflected a broader evangelical message of peace.
At the same time, commenting on his words regarding the Iranian war, Leo XIV noted that a dispute with Trump is not at all in his interest, but he intends to continue preaching the word of God.
"There’s been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when, on the first day of the trip, the president of the United States made some comments about myself," the head of the Catholic Church said.
"Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said," he added.
What preceded
Trump began speaking about the Pope on his Truth Social network on the night of April 12, criticizing his sermons about peace amid the raging war in Iran. The US president accused Leo of being lenient toward crime, favoring the left, and claimed that the first American pontiff owed his election to him.
Leo XIV, in his sermon in Cameroon, consistently called for peace and dialogue and condemned the use of religious justification for war. At the same time, he called Trump's threat to destroy Iranian civilization truly unacceptable.
The Vatican, for its part, emphasized that when the Pope preaches about peace, he means all the wars devastating the planet, not just the Iranian conflict.
"And yet as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not in my interest at all," the pontiff said.
On April 16, Leo XIV criticized tyrants who spend billions on murder and destruction after criticism from US President Donald Trump.
