Pope Leo criticized violations of international law by ‘neocolonial’ world powers in a forceful speech on Monday during an Africa tour, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump’s direct attack on the leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church.
The first U.S. pope urged leaders in Algeria on the first day of a four-nation tour to build a society based on principles of justice and solidarity.
“Today, this is more urgent than ever in the face of continuous violations of international law and neocolonial tendencies,” Leo said.
This is pertinent to know that President Donald Trump attacked Pope Leo XIV late on Sunday following the pontiff’s criticism of his foreign and immigration policies.
“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Leo, who last year became the first U.S.-born pope, has emerged as an outspoken critic of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28. He previously questioned the Trump administration’s approach to immigration as well.
“Leo should get his act together as Pope,” Trump wrote in his post Sunday, later telling reporters he was “not a big fan” of the pontiff.
Trump’s broadside against Leo also accused him of being “weak on nuclear weapons,” several days after the pope said the U.S. president’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization was “truly unacceptable.”
In a speech on Palm Sunday last month in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, the pope said God rejects the prayers of leaders who start wars and have their “hands full of blood,” calling the conflict in Iran “atrocious.”