Pope Leo pushes back after Trump criticism

Pope Leo has now responded following criticism from United States President Donald Trump.

Taking to Truth Social earlier today (13 April), the 79-year-old Republican claimed: "Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. He talks about 'fear' of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart.

"I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t! I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. 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 and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country."

US President Donald Trump has fired back at Pope Leo in a scathing Truth Social rant (Tasos Katopodis / Stringer / Getty Images)

Trump continued: "And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History. 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. Unfortunately, Leo’s Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested. 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! President DONALD J. TRUMP."

Now responding to Trump's scathing rant, Pope Leo has told Reuters he didn't 'want to get into a debate' with the president.

"I don't want to get into a debate with ⁠him," he told the outlet. "I don't ​think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused ​in the way that some people are doing."

"I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the ​states to look for just solutions to problems," he continued.

"Too many people are suffering in the world today," said Leo. "Too many innocent ‌people ⁠are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there's a better way.

"The message of the church, my message, the message of the Gospel: Blessed are the Peacemakers. I do ​not look at ​my role as ⁠being political, a politician."

Pope Leo is the first American pope (Vatican Pool / Contributor / Getty Images)

Leo, who originally hails from Chicago, has been an outspoken critic of the ​US-Israeli war on Iran in recent weeks and urged world leaders to end what he dubbed ​the 'madness of ⁠war' in a peace appeal on Saturday (11 April).

During the special prayer vigil in St. Peter's Basilica, Leo, who is the first US pope following his election back in May last year, said a 'delusion of ​omnipotence that surrounds us ... is becoming increasingly unpredictable'.

Making a direct ​appeal to world leaders, he urged: "Stop! It is time for peace! ⁠Sit at the table of dialogue and mediation, not at the ​table where rearmament is planned."