US President Donald Trump has criticized Pope Leo XIV in an unusual and direct attack on the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, escalating tensions between the White House and the Vatican.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the pope as "weak on crime" and "terrible for foreign policy," comments that prompted immediate backlash from religious figures and Catholic communities. The remarks appear to be a response to the pontiff's recent criticism of US policies, particularly regarding the Iran conflict and immigration.
Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope, has increasingly spoken out against the war, condemning what he called the "madness of war" and urging world leaders to seek diplomatic solutions. He has also questioned whether hardline immigration policies align with Christian teachings.
As Trump states on Truth Social:
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! (...)