Pope Leo XIV said that his speeches, which are considered to be directed against US President Donald Trump, were written long before the escalation in the Middle East.
The pope made this statement during his trip from Cameroon to Angola, where he will continue his apostolic tour, CNN reports.
He explained that most of his speeches were written “long before the statements of the US president“ and his entourage.
“Debating with the president is absolutely not in my interest“, Leo XIV stressed.
After the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, the pope said: “Absurd and inhuman violence is raging in the holy places of Christian East“. He also called the US-Israeli war on Iran “a disgrace to all humanity“.
US President Donald Trump responded by calling the pope “terrible at foreign policy“ and adding that he “does not want a pope who criticizes the US president“. US Vice President J. D. Vance urged Pope Leo XIV to be “careful“ in his statements on theological topics.
Pope Leo XIV then criticized unnamed politicians who use religion to achieve their goals. The pope noted that our world is currently being plundered by “a bunch of tyrants“. The pope's remarks came amid his conflict with Washington over his criticism of the US operation in Iran.
The pope was supported by the Italian prime minister Georgia Meloni, who called Trump's remarks unacceptable. The US leader responded by saying that "really the only thing that's unacceptable here is her, because she doesn't care if Iran has nuclear weapons." The US leader has previously repeatedly stated his excellent relationship with the Italian prime minister.