The Iran war has produced many unlikely moments. None stranger than this.
Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, has been increasingly vocal about the Iran war since it began in February. He condemned Trump’s threats to destroy Iranian civilian infrastructure as “truly unacceptable.” He said God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”
Trump’s response on Truth Social was extraordinary. He called Pope Leo “WEAK on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.” He suggested Pope Leo only got his position because he was American, writing “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.” He also posted and then deleted an image of himself depicted as a Jesus-like healer. When asked if he thought it showed him as Jesus, he said he thought it was showing him as a doctor.
Pope Leo responded from the papal plane en route to Algeria. “I have no fear of the Trump administration,” he told reporters. “Too many innocent people have been killed. Someone must stand up and say there is a better way.”
The backlash against Trump was swift. His closest European ally Giorgia Meloni called his attacks “unacceptable.” US Catholic bishops said he owes Pope Leo an apology. Iran’s Grand Ayatollah praised Pope Leo for his courage.
With Trump doubling down and Pope Leo continuing his Africa tour speaking out against the war, this standoff is only getting louder.
