Pope Leo XIV has told reporters he doesn’t want to be roped into a feud with President Donald Trump and would prefer to end the saga once and for all.
Aboard the papal plane on Saturday morning, Pope Leo said a “certain narrative” had been formed based on his public comments that has “not been accurate.”
“Because of the political situation created when on the first day of the trip, the President of the United States made some comments about myself, much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary trying to interpret what has been said,” he told reporters on the flight from Cameroon to Angola.
He said remarks he had made earlier on the tour about the war in Iran had been blown out of proportion, given that they were written well before Trump lashed out at him on Truth Social.
“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,” the president declared in his tirade.
Following Trump’s attack, Pope Leo said he “had no fear” of the Trump administration, or “speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do.”
He then spoke at a prayer meeting, saying “woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”
His comments were interpreted as a retort to Trump, but the pope says that’s wrong.
“The talk that I gave at the prayer meeting for peace a couple of days ago was prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself, and on the message of peace that I am promoting,” he continued.
“And yet as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate, again, the president, which is not my interest at all.”
If Trump sees himself in descriptions such as “tyrants” and “masters of war,” Pope Leo wants him to know he isn’t the one who suggested it.
