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Pope Leo XIV declared this Monday, in an interview with NBC News aboard the papal plane en route to Algiers, that he is "not afraid of the Trump administration" and that he will continue to uphold the message of the Gospel in light of the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, reported AP.
The pope's response came a day after Trump launched a harsh attack on him on Truth Social, calling him "weak and wrong," "terrible in foreign policy" and "weak on crime."
Trump also questioned the legitimacy of the papacy of Leo XIV, claiming that "he was only placed there by the Church because he was American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump."
The president even went so far as to warn him: "León should step up like the Pope [...] he is harming himself and, more importantly, he is harming the Catholic Church!"
The Pope, the first American pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church, responded firmly but without direct confrontation: "I do not wish to debate with him."
León XIV argued that the Vatican's calls for peace are rooted in the Gospel and emphasized that the Church cannot remain silent in the face of civilian deaths: "Too many innocents are being killed."
"I will continue to speak aloud about the message of the Gospel," the pontiff added.
The confrontation escalated following the private meeting that León XIV had on April 9 with David Axelrod, a Democratic strategist and former advisor to ex-President Barack Obama, an action that the White House interpreted as a political stance.
The Pope had called for a prayer vigil for peace on April 11 in St. Peter's Square, and had previously described Trump's warlike rhetoric against Iran as "truly unacceptable."
León XIV described the war as unjust, unprovoked, immoral, and illegal under the Catholic doctrine of just war, a position supported by U.S. cardinals, reported AP.
The backdrop of the conflict is the Epic Fury Operation, a joint offensive by the United States and Israel launched on February 28, 2026, which destroyed Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow.
After the failure of the negotiations mediated by Pakistan in Islamabad, Trump announced a naval blockade against Iran on Monday to prevent the sale of its oil in international markets.
Trump also accused the Pope of not opposing the Iranian nuclear program: "We are not fans of a pope who says it is okay to have a nuclear weapon".
León XIV had already warned in June 2025, when the first attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities were announced, that "no military victory can compensate for the pain of mothers, the fear of children, the stolen future".
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