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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has condemned President Donald Trump after he launched an extraordinary attack on Pope Leo XIV on Sunday night.
“I am disheartened that the president chose to write such disparaging words about the Holy Father,” Archbishop Paul S. Coakley said in a statement.
“Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the pope a politician. He is the vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.”
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In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump sharply criticized Leo, the first American pope, calling him "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy." He added: “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”
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The Context
Trump's post came after Leo denounced a "delusion of omnipotence" that he says is fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran while presided over an evening prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, the same day the U.S. and Iran began negotiations in Pakistan. He demanded political leaders stop fighting and negotiate peace.
While Leo did not name Trump or the United States, his message appeared directed at the president and U.S. officials, who have boasted of U.S. military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.
Last week, he said Trump’s threat to annihilate Iranian civilization was “truly unacceptable.”
It comes after it was reported last week that Pentagon officials allegedly told a Vatican diplomat that the Vatican and Catholic Church should get on board with the Trump administration's military tactics. A spokesperson for the Department of Defense told Newsweek that the characterization of the meeting by the outlet the Free Press was "highly exaggerated and distorted."
What To Know
In his social media post on Sunday night, however, Trump went far beyond the war in Iran in criticizing Leo.
“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," he wrote, referring to his administration's ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January.
“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,” he added.
He added: "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!"
Later, Trump posted a picture on Truth Social that could be interpreted as suggesting he had saintlike powers akin to those of Jesus Christ.
In the image, Trump is seen laying hands on a bedridden man as light emanates from his fingers, while a soldier, a nurse, a praying woman and a bearded man in a baseball cap all look on admiringly.
Leo has previously said that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.” He’s also referenced an Old Testament passage from Isaiah, saying that “even though you make many prayers, I will not listen—your hands are full of blood.”
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump told reporters after Air Force One landed outside Washington, D.C. on Sunday: "We don't like a pope that's going to say that it's OK to have a nuclear weapon. We don't want a pope that says crime is OK in our cities. I don't like it. I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo."
Pope Leo said on Saturday: "Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life."
What Happens Next
Pope Leo is scheduled to depart for an 11-day trip to Africa on Monday.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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