World 'being ravaged by a handful of tyrants', warns Pope Leo after Trump criticism
Donald Trump has hit out at Pope Leo over his criticism of the US's war with Iran.
Pope Leo has once again taken aim at Donald Trump as he blasted leaders who spend billions on wars and said the world was "being ravaged by a handful of tyrants".
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The pontiff's unusually forceful remarks come after the US President attacked him again on social media last night.
Leo, the first US pope, also decried leaders who used religious language to justify wars and urged a "decisive change of course".
Speaking in Cameroon on Thursday, the leader of the Catholic church said: "The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild.
"They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found."
He made the comments in a meeting in the biggest city in Cameroon's English-speaking regions, where a simmering conflict going back nearly a decade has left thousands dead.
Read more: Trump attacks Pope Leo and NATO again with latest Truth Social posts
The Pope hit out further with a post on X, just hours later,
He wrote: "Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth. #ApostolicJourney #Cameroon."
The comments come following days of remarks being traded by the Pope and Mr Trump.
Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth. #ApostolicJourney #Cameroon https://t.co/bKteFZ3iWE
— Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex) April 16, 2026
Pope Leo previously said he will keep speaking out against war after facing scathing criticism from Mr Trump, who branded the pontiff “weak”.
The US President, in a lengthy social media post, demanded that the head of the Catholic Church “focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician”.
But the Pope indicated he will continue to “stand up and say there’s a better way” and that he is “not afraid of the Trump administration”, although he also said he did not intend to “get into a debate” with Mr Trump.
Mr Trump has accused the Pope, who leads the world’s estimated 1.4 billion Catholics, of being “Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons” and said he should “stop catering to the Radical Left”.
The President also said the pontiff should be “thankful” to have become Pope last year, suggesting the first North American leader of the Catholic Church was chosen as someone who could “deal with” Mr Trump.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, where he also posted an image of himself as a god or Jesus-like figure, the president wrote: “Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise.“
He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J Trump. If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.”
Doubling down on his remarks, Mr Trump – who was among world leaders in attendance at Pope Francis’s funeral almost a year ago – also told reporters: “I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. I’m not a fan of Pope Leo.”
The image was later taken down from Truth Social, and the US president claimed that he never intended to liken himself to Jesus.