United States President Donald Trump has criticised Pope Leo XIV, calling him “terrible for foreign policy” after the pope appealed for peace over the Iran conflict.
Trump made the remark in a Sunday night post on Truth Social.
“I don’t want a Pope who criticises the President of the United States,” he wrote.
The reaction followed recent comments by Pope Leo urging leaders to stop the violence. He warned against a “delusion of omnipotence” driving war.
Days earlier, the pope had also described Trump’s threat against Iran as “truly unacceptable”.
Responding, Trump said: “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,” he added.
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He went further, saying: “Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.”
Speaking to reporters later, Trump doubled down.
“I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo,” he said. “He’s a very liberal person.”
Pope Leo has taken a stronger stance in recent weeks, calling for peace and warning against using religion to justify war.
“Jesus is the king of peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” he said.
“He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war but rejects them.”