Catholic bishops from the United States and Italy defended Pope Leo XIV after a blistering attack by US President Donald Trump, who accused the pontiff of being “weak on crime”.
“I am disheartened that the president chose to write such disparaging words about the Holy Father,” the head of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Paul Coakley, said in a statement published on Sunday.
“Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.”
Asked about Trump’s comments while he was on the papal plane flying to Algiers on Monday for the start of an 11-day African tour, the pope said he had “no intention to debate” with the US president.
The Italian Bishops’ Conference also defended the 70-year-old American pope today, saying Pope Leo was “not a political counterpart but the successor of Peter, called to serve the Gospel, truth and peace”.
“In a time marked by international conflicts and tensions, his voice represents a forceful call to the dignity of the person, to dialogue and to responsibility,” the Italian bishops said in a statement.
They said they hoped “that all will show respect for his person and his ministry”.
Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sunday that he was “not a big fan of Pope Leo”.
His disparaging remark came a day after Pope Leo issued his most forthright critique yet of the Trump administration.
“He’s a very liberal person and he’s a man that doesn’t believe in stopping crime,” Trump alleged.
He accused Leo of “toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon”, after the pope condemned Trump’s threats against civilians in Iran.
Trump then lambasted the pontiff on Truth Social, saying: “I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do,” he wrote.
He later posted an AI-generated image seemingly depicting himself as Jesus Christ.
On Saturday, Leo condemned those waging war, saying: “Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”
Without mentioning Trump by name, the pope described a “delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive”.
