ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Leo XIV said Saturday he has no interest in engaging in a debate with U.S. President Donald Trump, clarifying that recent remarks about “tyrants” were not directed at the American leader.
Speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane en route from Cameroon to Angola during an 11-day Africa tour, the pontiff pushed back against what he described as an inaccurate narrative surrounding a speech delivered Thursday in Bamenda, Cameroon. In that address, Leo said the world was being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants” and criticized leaders who spend billions on warfare while resources for healing and education remain scarce.
“There’s been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects,” Leo said Saturday, according to the Associated Press. “As it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate the president, which is not in my interest at all”.
Leo said the remarks in Cameroon were prepared two weeks ago, “well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting”. He added that much of the subsequent coverage has been “more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said”.
The pope’s clarification follows a public exchange of criticism that began April 12, when Trump posted on Truth Social that Leo is “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy”. Trump also suggested the pontiff owed his election to the president, a claim that Vatican observers have disputed. The president later posted an AI-generated image of himself as a Jesus-like figure, which was removed hours later.
Leo has been a vocal critic of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, calling Trump’s threat to “annihilate” Iranian civilization “truly unacceptable”. The Vatican has stated that Leo’s calls for peace apply to all global conflicts, not solely the Iran war.
Despite his disinterest in debating Trump directly, Leo said he would continue preaching the Gospel’s message of peace. “I primarily come to Africa as a pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all the Catholics throughout Africa,” he said.
Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, welcomed the pope’s comments. “I am grateful to Pope Leo for saying this,” Vance wrote on X, adding that public disagreements are often more complex than they appear.
The pope’s Africa tour, which began April 12, has included stops in Cameroon and will continue to Angola and other nations.
