Pope responds after repeated attacks by Trump over war criticism: 'I have no fear'

President Donald Trump has in recent days lambasted several influential critics of the U.S.-Israeli military actions in and around Iran, including long-time supporters Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Alex Jones.Shortly before sharing an AI image on Truth Social on Sunday depicting himself dressed in messianic garb and healing a sick man, Trump posted another tirade, this time targeting Pope Leo XIV — the spiritual father of over 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, including Vice President JD Vance and roughly 20% of Americans — over Leo's anti-war remarks.'I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo.'"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," wrote Trump. "I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t!"Trump noted further that he doesn't:want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. 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 and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country. And 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, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History.Pope Leo, whose Petrine ministry began in May 2025, has long advocated for victims of war, particularly children, and urged world leaders and followers of Christ to pursue peaceful resolutions.RELATED: Catholic churches PACKED for Easter as conversions skyrocket Simone Risoluti/Vatican Media/Vatican Pool/Getty ImagesDuring a prayer vigil for peace at Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome on Saturday, for instance, the pope highlighted the condemnations of war voiced by two of his predecessors — Pope John Paul II against the Iraq War and Pope Paul VI against the conflict of his age in 1965 — then noted:Prayer teaches us how to act. In prayer, our limited human possibilities are joined to the infinite possibilities of God. Thoughts, words, and deeds then break the demonic cycle of evil and are placed at the service of the Kingdom of God. A Kingdom in which there is no sword, no drone, no vengeance, no trivialization of evil, no unjust profit, but only dignity, understanding, and forgiveness. It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive. The balance within the human family has been severely destabilized. Even the holy Name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death. A world of brothers and sisters with one heavenly Father vanishes, as in a nightmare, giving way to a reality populated by enemies.A day earlier, the pope's X account shared the following message, which was met with widespread criticism: "God does not bless any conflict. Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs."'I do not think the message of the gospel should be abused as some are doing.'Such comments apparently got under Trump's skin.After claiming that Leo was elected pope only "because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump," the president 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. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church!"In addition to criticizing the pope on social media, Trump told reporters, "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. He's a very liberal person, and he's a man that doesn't believe in stopping crime."Pope Leo responded to Trump's critiques during a flight to Algeria, noting that he does not regard his "role as that of a politician.""I am not a politician, and I do not want to enter into a debate with him," said the pope. "I do not think the message of the gospel should be abused as some are doing. I continue to speak strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, dialogue, and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems.