Pope Leo XIV has pushed back after US President Donald Trump launched an extraordinary spray at the American-born pontiff for criticising his war in Iran.
Trump launched an extraordinary broadside against Leo on Sunday night (Monday afternoon AEST), saying he didn't think the global leader of the Catholic Church was "doing a very good job", while also suggesting the pontiff should "stop catering to the Radical Left".
"Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," the president wrote in his post, adding, "I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon".
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Pope Leo XIV pushed back on Monday, telling The Associated Press that the Vatican's appeals for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel, and that he doesn't fear the Trump administration.
"To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is," Leo told AP aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria.
"And I'm sorry to hear that but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today."
History's first US-born pope stressed that he was not making a direct attack against Trump or anyone else with his general appeal for peace and criticisms of the "delusion of omnipotence" that is fuelling the Iran wars and other conflicts around the world.
"I will not enter into debate. The things that I say are certainly not meant as attacks on anyone. The message of the Gospel is very clear: 'Blessed are the peacemakers'," Leo said.
"I will not shy away from announcing the message of the Gospel and inviting all people to look for ways of building bridges of peace and reconciliation, and looking for ways to avoid war any time that's possible".
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While the Vatican has a tradition of diplomatic neutrality, the Pope said the US President's Iran threat that "a whole civilisation will die tonight" was "truly unacceptable", adding any attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international law.
"Today as we all know there was this threat against all the people of Iran. This is truly unacceptable," Leo said as he left his country house in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.
Trump, who once gushed about him being "the first American pope", called the Pope "weak" and "terrible" and made confusing claims related to COVID, Venezuela and Barack Obama.
"We don't like a pope that says it's okay to have a nuclear weapon," he later told reporters.
"I don't like it. I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo."
He also said "I don't want a Pope who criticises a president of the United States because I am doing exactly what I was elected in a LANDSLIDE to do."
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He also claimed Leo was only chosen because he was president.
"Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise.
"He wasn't on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.
"If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican."
Trump, who just days before provoked the ire of Catholics around the world by posting an AI-generated image of himself as the pope, was quick to congratulate Leo last year when he was chosen to lead the Catholic Church.
"It is such an honour to realise that he is the first American Pope," Trump, who is Christian but not Catholic said, on Truth Social.
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"What excitement, and what a Great Honour for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!"
Trump attended the funeral of Pope Francis.
The American pope has also recently urged Americans and other "people of good will" to contact their political leaders and congressional representatives to demand they reject war and work for peace.
He used his Easter appeal to plea for "peace and to reject war, especially a war which many people have said is an unjust war, which is continuing to escalate, and which is not resolving anything."
Leo has also publicly named Trump in saying he hoped the US president was truly "looking for an off-ramp".
Also last week Leo didn't cite Trump by name but in comments in English he urged people to contact their political leaders and congressional representatives "to ask them, tell them to work for peace and to reject war."
He said the message to political leaders should be: "Come back to the table, let's talk, let's look for solutions in a peaceful way and let's remember especially the innocent children, the elderly, sick, so many people who have already become or will become victims of this continued warfare."
The Vatican is particularly concerned about how the Iran conflict has spread to a renewed war in Lebanon between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant Hezbollah group.
The Vatican fears for Christians in southern Lebanon.
The Pentagon has said reports of a meeting between senior Department of Defence officials and the Vatican's representative in the US are "highly exaggerated and distorted".
The Free Press reports the Pentagon summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre for a meeting with Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby.
At the January meeting, Pentagon officials reportedly criticised a speech made by Pope Leo XIV and told the cardinal the Vatican needed to get on board.
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