Pope Leo XIV refused to argue with Trump

Pope Leo XIV urged not to consider his anti-war sermons as an absentee response to recent criticism from US President Donald Trump. He said this on April 18 aboard his flight to Angola as part of the third leg of a 10-day African tour.

"As it turned out, it was perceived as if I was trying to argue with the president, which is completely not in my interests," the pontiff told reporters, as quoted by the Reuters news agency.

Speaking in Cameroon during an African tour on April 16, Leo XIV declared that the world is "ruined by a handful of tyrants." The Pope insists that he was not talking about Trump at that moment. He said that the speech was prepared two weeks ago and was not intended as a continuation of the discussion with the American leader in absentia.

The High Priest from across the sea: an American has become the new Pope

Robert Francis Prevost took the name Leo XIV.

Leo XIV stated on April 7 that the threats of the US president against Iran and its people are completely unacceptable. At the same time, he appealed to representatives of the international community to think about the consequences of a possible military clash for civilians. In turn, on April 12, the American leader criticized the pontiff, linking his statements with the desire of the church to deal with him.

The next day, US Vice President Jay D. Vance urged Leo XIV not to engage in politics, but to pay attention to morality. In particular, he called on the Pope to pay attention to the Catholic Church.