President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV are having a public fight that is getting a lot of attention. The fight is about the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran and other differences in foreign policy. Recent news stories have brought attention to the Pope’s strong criticism of Trump’s threats to use force against Iran, calling them “entirely unacceptable” and calling for dialogue instead of violence. This is one of the most tense times between the Vatican and the White House in a long time.
On Palm Sunday, Pope Leo XIV stepped up his criticism by saying, “God does not bless any conflict,” and refusing to pray for people who are fighting. He directly criticized Trump’s promise to “obliterate Iranian civilization,” saying it was a moral failure that didn’t take into account the human cost of violence. Catholic theologians agreed with this and told Trump to follow just war doctrine even though it put civilians at risk. Trump responded by calling Pope Leo XIV “weak” on crime and foreign policy in a Truth Social post. He said that his actions in Iran were necessary. Even though there was a disagreement, Trump said he would be willing to meet with the Pope, even though they had already had problems talking about immigration. Karoline Leavitt, a Catholic and White House Press Secretary, said that Trump’s threats were not empty and dismissed moral criticisms of Iran.
After the US and Israel attacked Iran, Iran retaliated, which made the conflict worse. The Vatican called for diplomacy and de-escalation. Washington called reports of US officials pressuring the Church for support “routine” diplomacy. Some theologians say that Trump’s language could lead to genocide and call for moral clarity.
