Pope Leo clarified that his recent ‘tyrants’ speech was not directed at Donald Trump, stating he was not seeking to debate the former US President.
The pontiff explained that his remarks, delivered just days after a high-profile disagreement with Trump, had been prepared a fortnight earlier. He noted this was “well before the president ever commented on myself.”
He further told reporters aboard a flight to Angola on Saturday that the speech was perceived “as if I was trying to debate, again, the president, which is not in my interest at all.”
Earlier in the week, Trump had launched a scathing attack on the first American Pope, who has been a vocal critic of the US-Israeli military operation in Iran. Trump described the Pope as “terrible for foreign policy.”
While on his tour of Africa, the Pope acknowledged that a “certain narrative that has not been accurate” had emerged, citing “the political situation created” by Trump’s comments.
During his speech in Cameroon on Thursday, the Pope had criticised leaders who “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 added, “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.” The Pope also condemned “an endless cycle of destabilisation and death” in a “bloodstained” region of Cameroon, which has faced insurgency for nearly a decade.
These remarks were interpreted by some as a veiled reference to Trump. In response, Trump later told reporters, “The Pope can say what he wants, and I want him to say what he wants, but I can disagree.”
Trump’s initial lengthy criticism of the Catholic leader followed the pontiff’s expression of concern over Trump’s threat that “a whole civilisation will die” if Iran did not agree to US demands to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz.
Declaring himself “not a big fan” of the Pope, Trump had previously called him “WEAK on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.” He also posted an AI-generated image of himself depicted as a Jesus-like figure, which he subsequently removed.
The Catholic leader’s current Africa tour encompasses stops in 11 cities across four countries. This visit marks his second major foreign trip since being elected to the papacy last year, underscoring the significant role of Catholicism in Africa.
According to figures from 2024, more than a fifth of the world’s Catholics, approximately 288 million people, reside in Africa.