Pope Leo at the airport in Rome.Image: keystone
April 13, 2026, 11:29April 13, 2026, 11:30 a.m
Pope Leo XIV has rejected criticism from US President Donald Trump of his appeal for an end to the various wars in the world.
“What I say is by no means meant as an attack on anyone,” said the head of the Catholic Church on the flight to Algeria, the first stop on a trip to Africa.
“I’m not afraid of the Trump administration.”
«I’m not a politician. I invite all people to build bridges for peace and reconciliation and to look for ways to avoid war.” At the same time, Leo emphasized: “I am not afraid of the Trump administration.”
Immediately before his departure, the US President had accused the pontiff of pursuing a “terrible” foreign policy. On the Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that Leo only came into office because they hoped that a pope from the USA could deal with him better.
“If I weren’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.” He doesn’t want a pope who thinks it’s okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Leo told reporters on board his plane:
«The message of the Gospel is very clear: “Blessed are the peacemakers.” I will not shy away from proclaiming the message of the Gospel. To equate my message with what the President is trying to do here is to fail to understand the gospel message. And I’m sorry to hear this, but I will continue with what I believe is the mission of the church.” (sda/dpa)