U.S. President Donald Trump sharply criticized Pope Leo XIV on Sunday evening, condemning the pontiff’s stance on the war with Iran and saying he is “not a fan” of the Catholic leader.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said “we don’t like a pope that’s going to say that it’s OK to have a nuclear weapon.”He added: “He’s a man that doesn’t think that we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world.”
Trump concluded his remarks by saying: “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo.”
Clash over Iran conflict
Pope Leo, the first American pope, has become increasingly outspoken about the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran, last week condemning Trump’s rhetoric and threats against the Iranian people as “truly unacceptable.”
His comments came after Trump warned that “a whole civilization will die tonight” in the hours before a two-week ceasefire with Iran was reached.
Both Trump and his defense secretary Pete Hegseth have invoked religious language in public messaging about the conflict, with Hegseth describing the war effort as divinely supported and even citing scripture in support of military action.
Pope Leo has strongly pushed back against that idea.
“Jesus is the king of peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” the pope said on Palm Sunday. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war but rejects them.”
Trump expands criticism on social media
Trump later posted a longer critique of the pontiff on Truth Social, writing that “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.”
He added that he does not want “a pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon” or one who believes it was “terrible that America attacked Venezuela.”
Following the U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January, the pope had called for the “will of the Venezuelan people” to be respected and urged a return to stability in the country.
Trump also criticized the pope for speaking out against the U.S. president.
“I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States,” Trump said.
The president went further, claiming that Leo “wasn’t on any list to be Pope” and that he was chosen partly because he is American and was seen as a way for the Church to “deal with President Donald J. Trump.”
Vatican response
Responding to the remarks, Fr Antonio Spadaro, a Vatican official and prominent Jesuit commentator, said Trump was attacking “a moral voice.”
“Trump doesn’t debate Leo: he begs him to retreat into a language that he can dominate,” Spadaro wrote on X.
“But the Pope speaks another language, one that refuses to be reduced to the grammar of force, of security, of national interest.”
Spadaro added that the attack itself showed the influence of the pope’s message.
“If Leo were irrelevant, he wouldn’t merit a word. Instead, he is called out, named, fought: a sign that his word cuts deep,” he said.
Longstanding opposition to nuclear weapons
Pope Leo has repeatedly spoken out against the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
“The commitment to building a safer world free from the nuclear threat must be pursued through respectful encounters and sincere dialogue,” he said last June while Trump was weighing possible strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.
Political backdrop
Trump’s comments came shortly after CBS News’ “60 Minutes” aired a segment featuring senior American cardinals expressing support for the pope’s position on the war and recalling his earlier criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
According to Elise Ann Allen, a Rome-based correspondent for Catholic outlet Crux, Trump’s remarks may reflect concern that Pope Leo is emerging as a stronger voice on the international stage.
“I think what is happening is Donald Trump is starting to feel the heat,” she told CNN, noting that moderate Catholics played a key role in Trump’s election victories.
Allen also suggested that Leo is unlikely to respond directly to the criticism, as he prepares to begin a 10-day papal visit to Africa.
Shortly after making the comments, Trump posted an AI-generated image on Truth Social depicting himself as a Christ-like figure healing a sick person, with American flags and eagles in the background.