Blessed are peacemakers, Pope Leo says amid Trump criticism

Pope Leo XIV said Monday that he was not afraid of the Trump administration after U.S. President Donald Trump sharply criticized the pontiff on social media. Pope Leo told reporters while on a flight to Algeria that he was not a politician and did not wish to enter into a debate with Trump. Rather, he said he sought to proclaim the message of the gospel. He quoted from Matthew 5:9, saying, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

The pontiff added that innocent lives have been lost, and someone needed to stand up and call for a better way, according to Vatican News. He planned to continue speaking out strongly against war and promoting peace, which was a call that applied to all leaders. Pope Leo has repeatedly spoken out against wars in recent weeks. During his first Easter Mass, he urged those who have the power to unleash wars to lay down their weapons. On Palm Sunday, he said that God rejects violence and the prayers of those who wage war.

What were Trump’s criticisms of the pope? In a social media post published Sunday, Trump called Pope Leo “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.” Trump said that he didn’t want a pope who thought it was OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon or disagreed with the United States’ attack on Venezuela. Trump added he didn’t want a pope who criticized the president for doing what Trump was elected to do. Later on Sunday evening, Trump posted a image that depicted himself in an ancient-style robe. In the picture, light shone out of his hands while he laid them on a bedridden man. He later took down the post, saying it was a mistake.

How are U.S. leaders reacting to the conflict? Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was disheartened by Trump’s criticism of the pope. Coakley wrote in a statement that Pope Leo was not Trump’s rival, but rather the Vicar of Christ who spoke for the care of souls.

Former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a MAGA politician turned Trump critic, accused his picture of portraying “an Antichrist spirit.”

Dig deeper: Read my report on Pope Leo’s call during Easter Mass for peace and an all-around laying down of weapons.