Sam Corbishley
Published April 18, 2026 3:52pm
Updated April 18, 2026 3:52pm
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Pope Leo XIV gives a speech, criticising world leaders for what he described as spending billions on ‘killing and devastation’ (Picture: Reuters)
Pope Leo XIV has said it is ‘not in my interest at all’ to debate Donald Trump about the Iran war as he sought to downplay the extraordinary confrontation between the Vatican and the White House.
Speaking to reporters in English on the papal plane to Angola on the latest leg of his 11-day tour of Africa, Leo addressed the fall-out between the world’s two most powerful Americans.
He clarified that his remarks earlier this week decrying a world that is being ‘ravaged by a handful of tyrants’ were not aimed at the US president.
The speech made headlines around the world after being read as the pope fighting back against the administration and taking on Trump head-on.
But Leo, the first US pope, told reporters today that the text ‘was prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting’.
‘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,’ he said.
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‘Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said.’
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Pope Leo XIV briefs the press aboard a flight on his way to Luanda, Angola (Picture: EPA)
Trump’s Truth Social post which bizarrely hit out at the pope for being ‘WEAK on crime’ (Picture: Truth Social/@realDonaldTrump)
Leo has issued consistent calls for peace and dialogue and has denounced the use of religious justification for war.
Specifically, he called Trump’s threat to annihilate Iranian civilization ‘truly unacceptable’.
On Sunday, as Leo prepared to embark on his tour, Trump called him ‘WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy’ in a bizarre rant posted on Truth Social.
Trump also posted an AI-generated image of himself as a Jesus-like figure, drawing widespread criticism even from some religious conservatives who typically support him.
The post was removed on Monday morning.
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Previous Page Next PageTrump appeared to be responding to Leo’s growing criticism in recent weeks of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
Pope Leo declared on Monday that he would keep speaking out about the war.
Trump then followed up on his criticism of the pope on Tuesday.
On Thursday, Leo blasted leaders who spend billions on wars and said the world was ‘being ravaged by a handful of tyrants’, though he did not mention Trump directly again.
‘As it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate the president, which is not in my interest at all,’ he said on Saturday.
Looking ahead, however, he said that he would continue preaching the Gospel.
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‘I primarily come to Africa as a pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all the Catholics throughout Africa,’ he said.
He drew attention to some upcoming liturgical readings about what it means to be Christian and to follow Christ, promote fraternity and brotherhood, ‘but also looking for ways to promote justice in our world, promote peace in our world’.
Leo, originally from Chicago, kept a relatively low profile for a pope in his first 10 months but has debuted a new forceful speaking style in Africa, sharply denouncing war, inequality and global leaders.
His Africa tour is one of the most complicated ever arranged for a pontiff, with stops in 11 cities and towns in four countries, traversing more than 11,000 miles over 18 flights.
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