“I am not afraid of the Trump administration” and “I will continue to raise my voice to build peace”: this is how Pope Leo XIV responded this Monday to the disqualifications of the president of the United States who called him “weak against crime” and “terrible in foreign policy.”
The pope made these statements aboard the papal plane during the flight to Algeria, where his third international trip began this Monday. Nobody believed that the prudent and reserved pope could answer the questions that the journalists asked him on board when he passed by one by one to greet them.
«No, I am not afraid of the Trump administration, nor of proclaiming the message of the Gospel out loud, which is what I believe I should be here for, and that is why the Church is here. “We are not politicians, we do not see foreign policy from the same perspective, but rather as builders of peace,” the pope said with complete calm.
And he added to the journalists, about 70, including the EFE agency representative: “I do not believe that the message of the Gospel should be distorted as some are doing. I continue to demonstrate strongly against war, trying to promote peace, dialogue and multilateralism with states to seek solutions to problems. “Too many people are suffering today, too many innocent people have died, and I think someone needs to speak up.”
He also stated: «The things I say do not have to be understood as an attack on anyone. The message of the gospel is very clear: Blessed are those who build peace.
«This is what I think I have to do, what the Church has to do. We are not politicians, we do not deal with international politics with the same perspective that he (Trump) may have. “I believe in the message of the gospel, which is to build peace,” he added.
Leo XIV said that he is just inviting “everyone to look for ways to build bridges of peace and reconciliation, to look for ways to avoid war whenever possible.”
“I think the president is not understanding what the message of the gospel is,” said the pontiff, who feels “very sorry” for the words that Trump addressed to him, but he, as he stated, will continue with his mission.
He even joked when asked about the post on Truth Social, Trump’s platform: “The name of the website is already ironic, to say the least…”
The disagreements between the pope and the president of his country of birth are beginning to become many.
But the trigger was that Leo
In this first Holy Week as pontiff, he has also denounced in his homilies “the dark hour” that the world is experiencing due to war, lamenting “a humanity on its knees due to so many examples of brutality” or calling as “blasphemous” those rulers who “want to win by killing” or “perceive themselves as powerful when they dominate.”
Pope Leo
Furthermore, the Chicago pontiff has already made it known that he will not travel to his native country this year, precisely when the 250th anniversary of his Declaration of Independence is commemorated.
Yes, he will travel, starting this Monday, to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea and in June to Spain. On July 4, American Independence Day, Leo XIV has announced that he will spend it on the Italian island of Lampedusa (south), the migratory gateway to Europe.
