Pope Leo has hit back at Donald Trump over the Iran war as he pledged to continue speaking out against the conflict. The US president launched a direct attack on Pope Leo on Sunday (12 April), describing him as “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy”. Speaking at the start of his 10-day tour to four African countries on Monday (13 April), Pope Leo said: “I don't think that the message of the gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing. And I will continue to speak out loud against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue, multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems. “Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say: there's a better way to do this."

The president’s attack follows Pope Leo XIV’s sharp public rebukes of Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran and his threats to destroy the country.

President Donald Trump on Sunday bashed Pope Leo XIV over the U.S.-born pontiff’s criticism of the U.S. war in Iran.

The pontiff ‘refuses to get into a debate’ with the president