Pope Leo XIV went out to meet journalists waiting for him outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo on Tuesday night to respond firmly to the new attacks from Donald Trump, who had accused him that same Monday of "putting many Catholics in danger" and of supporting Iran's possession of nuclear weapons.
The pontiff practically accused the leader of lying and left no doubt about his position.
"The mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel, to preach peace. If anyone wishes to criticize me for announcing the Gospel, let them do so with the truth: the Church has been speaking out against all nuclear weapons for years, so there is no doubt about that, and therefore I simply hope to be heard for the worth of the word of God," declared León XIV before the journalists gathered at the gates of Villa Barberini.
The Pope also recalled the message with which he inaugurated his papacy almost a year ago: “I spoke from the very first moment of being elected, and now that we are close to the anniversary, I reiterate: peace be with you.”
The Church in the Face of War and Nuclear Weapons
The pontiff also offered a reflection on war in the nuclear age, responding in English to questions about legitimate defense.
“Legitimate defense has traditionally been permitted by the Church. Therefore, discussing 'just war' today is a very complex issue that must be analyzed on many levels,” he stated.
"Since the advent of the nuclear age, the entire concept of war must be reevaluated in light of current terms. I will always believe that dialogue is far better than entering into a nuclear conflict," he emphasized.
Before the Pope spoke, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, had already responded in the same vein.
"The Pope continues on his path, preaching the Gospel and peace, as Saint Paul would say, on all occasions, whether it is timely or untimely," affirmed Parolin.
That León XIV decided to speak after Parolin had already responded reveals the level of tension that this confrontation has reached, according to international media reports.
The origin of Trump's new attack
Trump launched another attack against the Pope on Monday during an interview on the conservative channel Salem News Channel, where he stated:
"The pope prefers to talk about the fact that for Tehran, having a nuclear weapon is acceptable. I believe he is endangering many Catholics, many people."
This is at least the second verbal clash in less than a month between the first American pope in history and the president of his home country.
Trump launched his first major attack on April 13 on his social network Truth, labeling the Pope as "weak on crime" and "terrible on foreign policy"; and went on to assert: "If I were not in the White House, León would not be in the Vatican."
The Pope responded without hesitation: "I have no fear of the Trump administration. I will continue to speak out against war."
In parallel, Trump canceled a contract of over 60 years and 11 million dollars with Catholic Charities in Miami for the care of unaccompanied migrant children, a move that Archbishop Thomas Wenski directly linked to the frictions with the pontiff.
The meeting with Rubio, on the horizon
The new exchange of statements comes 48 hours before Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to the Vatican, scheduled for this Thursday with the aim of mending relationships damaged by mass deportations, aggressive foreign policy, and Trump's direct attacks on the pontiff.
The Pope expressed his desire for it to be "a good dialogue" with "trust" and "openness"; however, he left a note of mystery regarding the agenda: "I believe that the topics he comes for are not the ones of today. We shall see...".
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