Aboard the papal plane

Pope Leo XIV pushed back Monday against President Donald Trump's broadside against him over the US-Israel war in Iran, saying the Vatican's appeals for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel, and that he didn'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 The Associated Press aboard the papal plane. “And I'm sorry to hear that, but I will continue 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.

President Donald Trump delivered an extraordinary broadside against Pope Leo XIV on Sunday night, saying he didn't think the US-born global leader of the Catholic Church is “doing a very good job” and that “he's a very liberal person," while also suggesting the pontiff should “stop catering to the Radical Left”.

Flying back to Washington from Florida, Trump used a lengthy social media post to sharply criticise Leo, then kept it up after deplaning, in comments on the tarmac to reporters.

“I'm not a fan of Pope Leo,” he said.

Trump's comments came after Leo suggested over the weekend that a “delusion of omnipotence” is fuelling the US-Israel war in Iran. While it's not unusual for popes and presidents to be at cross purposes, it's exceedingly rare for the pope to directly criticise a US leader — and Trump's stinging response is equally uncommon, if not more so.

“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."

He repeated that sentiment in comments to reporters, saying, “We don't like a pope who says it's OK to have a nuclear weapon.”

Later, Trump posted a picture suggesting he had saint-like powers akin to those of Jesus Christ. Wearing a biblical-style robe, Trump is seen laying hands on a bedridden man as light emanates from his fingers, while a soldier, a nurse, a praying woman and a bearded man in a baseball cap all look on admiringly. The sky above is filled with eagles, an American flag and vaporous images.

All of that came after Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St Peter's Basilica on Saturday, the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan during a fragile ceasefire.

The pope didn't mention the United States or Trump by name, but his tone and message appeared directed at Trump and US officials, who have boasted of US military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.

Leo — who is scheduled to leave Monday for an 11-day trip to Africa — has previously said that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them”. He's also referenced an Old Testament passage from Isaiah, saying that “even though you make many prayers, I will not listen — your hands are full of blood.”

Before the ceasefire, when Trump warned of mass strikes against Iranian power plants and other infrastructure and that “an entire civilisation will die tonight,” Leo described such sentiments as “truly unacceptable”.

In his social media post on Sunday night, however, Trump went far beyond the war in Iran in criticising Leo.

The president wrote, “I don't want a Pope who thinks it's terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States.” That was a reference to the Trump administration having ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January.

“I don't want a Pope who criticises the President of the United States because I'm doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do,” Trump added, referencing his 2024 election victory.

He also suggested in the post that Leo only got his position “because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J Trump.”

“If I weren't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican,” Trump wrote, adding, “Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It's hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it's hurting the Catholic Church!”

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In his subsequent comments to reporters, Trump remained highly critical, saying of Leo, “I don't think he's doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess” and adding, “He's a very liberal person.”