Pope Leo XIV on Monday said he “will continue to speak out loudly against war” despite President Donald Trump’s recent attack against him.
“I don’t want to get into a debate with him,” the pope said of Trump, according to Reuters. “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 added.
Trump called the pope “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” in a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday.
“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,” Trump said.
“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,” he continued.
The pontiff appeared to brush off Trump’s comments, noting that “too many innocent people were being killed around the world.”
“I think someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way,” he said.
“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,” he added.