April 13, 2026 | 10:12 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - US President Donald Trump launched a sharp criticism against Pope Leo XIV on Sunday night.
He referred to the American pope as "weak on crime" and "foreign policy" in response to Leo XIV's criticism of the US role in the Iran War.
He even claimed that the Catholic Church only chose Leo XIV to manage relations with the Trump administration.
'"Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," wrote Trump on his Truth Social platform as reported by Anadolu.
He accused Pope XIV of speaking about "fear" of his government while ignoring what he described as persecution of religious figures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump said he prefers Leo's brother, Louis. "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," he said, claiming that the South American country had "emptied their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country."
Arguing that Leo's appointment as Pope was directly related to his presidency, Trump claimed, "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."
"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," wrote Trump, claiming that Pope's current direction “is hurting the Catholic Church.”
Pope Leo XIV's Criticism
In recent weeks as reported by CBS News, Pope Leo XIV significantly sharpened his criticism of the Iran War, shifting from prayers for peace to rare condemnation, denouncing President Trump's rhetoric.
Shortly before the ceasefire was negotiated on April 8, Trump threatened to obliterate the civilization of Iran. Leo called the president's comments "truly unacceptable." He also called for action.
"Contact the authorities — political leaders, congressmen — to ask them, tell them to work for peace and to reject war always," he told journalists gathered at Castel Gandolfo, the pope's summer residence.
Pope Leo XIV has been a leading voice in urging an end to the conflict in Iran since the war began in late February.
"I am praying for peace, I hope that [a] ceasefire would be the most effective way to work together to find peace for all parties, to respect all parties and to come to a solution," the Pope told 60 Minutes last month, a few weeks before the ceasefire was reached last week.
Leo usually avoids mentioning the president or his government officials. However, in a Palm Sunday sermon two weeks ago, he seemed to allude to the religious language of Defense Minister Pete Hegseth, who is a Christian but not a Catholic.
Pope Leo XIV warned that Jesus "does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war."
Read: At Easter Vigil, Pope Leo XIV Calls for Peace Amid Global Conflicts
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