Leo XIV says he "is not afraid" of Trump after his criticisms

BarcelonaPope Leo XIV has forcefully rejected on Monday the criticisms of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and has defended his stance of seeking peace in the Middle East. “I am not afraid of the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I have to do, what the Church is here to do,” the pontiff told reporters on board his plane, which took him to Algeria.

last week he condemned Trump's rhetoric and threatsLeo XIV, the first American pope, has become increasingly forceful about the war between the United States and Israel with Iran, and last week he condemned Trump's rhetoric and threatslast week he condemned Trump's rhetoric and threats against the Iranian people as “truly unacceptable” and said that "God is not on the side of those who drop bombs." The pontiff had reacted this way to Trump's threat to kill "an entire civilization" in the hours before the agreement for a two-week ceasefire with Iran.

Both Trump and his Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, have invoked God in public messages during the conflict, and Hegseth has presented the war effort as divinely sanctioned and has even used biblical justifications. Leo XIV has rejected this. “Jesus is the king of peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” he said on Palm Sunday, adding: “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”