Pope Leo warned of the risk of democracies sliding into “majoritarian tyranny” on Tuesday (April 14, 2026), in a letter issued by the Vatican two days after U.S. President Donald Trump attacked the pontiff on social media.
The first U.S. pope, writing to participants of a Vatican meeting about the use of power in democratic societies, said democracies remained healthy only when they were rooted in moral values. “Lacking this foundation, [democracy] risks becoming either a majoritarian tyranny or a mask for the dominance of economic and technological elites,” said Pope in the letter.
The text, released as the pope was undertaking an ambitious, 10-day tour of four African countries, did not directly address the U.S. or name any specific democracies.
Mr. Trump sharply criticised Pope as “terrible” on Sunday (April 12) night, after the pope had emerged in recent weeks as a growing critic of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Pope told Reuters on Monday (April 13) that he planned to keep criticising the war, despite Mr. Trump’s comments. In Tuesday’s (April 14) letter, the pope said the Catholic Church taught that power could not be seen as an end in itself “but as a means ordered toward the common good”.
