Of Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV'S Exchange of Words

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God" Matthew 5:9

In an unprecedented move in this modern era of politics, the President of the United States of America (US), Donald Trump, publicly attacked the current sitting Pope, Pope Leo XIV. It is unheard of for a world leader, more so, an American sitting President in the history of the US’s 250-year political existence, to publicly attack the leader of the Vatican. Of late, social media is awash with the exchange of words and ongoing friction between President Donald Trump and the American-born Pope, Pope Leo XIV. The US president categorically stated that he was “not a fan” of the Pope, and the Pope said, "he was not afraid of Trump's administration"^[1]. Beyond this war of words between these two prominent and powerful leaders of our time, three pertinent questions are raised: firstly, a theological question on "ownership of God" in a conflict or war situation, secondly, the role of true leadership and thirdly, the role of church or spiritual leadership in a crisis, conflict or war situation.

Trump was reportedly trying to score political points by criticizing Pope Leo XIV, calling his views “out of touch”, describing the Pope as weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy and dismissing the church’s stance on social justice, morality, peace and global responsibility. But this time around, many were critical of Trump’s antics, correctly pointing out that he had gone too far. From Pope Leo XIV's response, it is now crystal clear that it is Trump himself who is weak on diplomacy and peace and terrible on respect for human lives. As most world, church and spiritual “leaders” of this world were reluctant to publicly condemn Trump’s overt expression of genocidal intent, Pope Leo XIV made his objections clear without hesitation or even a hint of qualification. Trump may have the B2 bombers, the latest missiles, the strongest military on earth and a presidential seal, but has finally met a principled antagonist, rooted in faith, rooted in the gospel, who will not be cowed, bought, or brow-beaten into collusion or silence.

How It All Started?

It all began when US President Donald Trump framed or attempted to frame the potential for increased military action in Iran as a "divinely sanctioned" mission to protect global interests, invoking or seeking to invoke religious justification for geopolitical manoeuvring. This prompted a quick response and public correction from the Vatican. From a televised statement from St. Peter's Square, Pope Leo XIV declared that “peace is the only path blessed by the Creator,” totally repudiating the absurd notion that the God he serves and worships heeds the hysterical call of warmongers. He insisted, instead, that their “hands are full of blood".^[2]

“Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war”.^[3]

The Pope added, “He (God) does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: Your hands are full of blood".^[4]

Pope Against Iran War

Pope Leo XIV, a prominent critic of the US-Israel war on Iran, did not mince words or try to be diplomatic about being against the war, which many, including him, consider an "unjust war". 

The Pope further clarified his position on this Iran war by saying,

"All people of goodwill should always search for peace not violence, to reject war, especially a war which many people have said is an unjust war which is continuing to escalate and which is not resolving anything. In fact, we have worldwide economic crisis, energy crisis, a situation in the Middle East of great instability, which is only provoking more hatred throughout the world. So come back to the table let's talk, let's look for solutions in a peaceful way. And let's remember especially the innocent, children, the elderly, the sick, so many people who have and will become victims of the continuing warfare, to remind all that attacks on civilian infrastructure is against international law, but it is also a sign of the hatred, the division, the destruction the human being is capable of. All we want is to work for peace. People want peace."^[5]

The Pope also pointed out that Trump's threat to wipe out the Iranian civilisation was unacceptable. On the 11th of April, 2026, the very first day when peace talks between the US and Iran began in Islamabad (Pakistan), in a prayer vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pope said,

"enough display of power, enough of war, true strength is shown in serving life."^[6]

The Pope urged the world to stop the war and carnage that has been unleashed—this time, on Iranians.

“To them we cry out: Stop. It is time for peace. Sit at the table of dialogue and mediation – not at the table where rearmament is planned and deadly actions are decided."^[7]

Trump's Administration in Attack Mode 

US Vice President JD Vance, in defense of his boss, advised the Pope to "stay in his lane, which is morality," and stay out of politics. Trump further described the Pope as "weak" when it comes to stopping crime and "terrible" in foreign policy. Pointing out that the Pope, "is a very liberal man, a man who does not believe in stopping a crime."^[8]

Trump added that he did not want a Pope who accepts Iran having nuclear weapons or criticizes US actions abroad. He went on to say,

"The Pope should get his act together and stop catering to the radical left" further elaborating that the Pope was, "wrong on issues of law and order."^[9] 

Trump even suggested that the Pope was elected because he is American and the Vatican thought an American would be easy to deal with.

Pope Leo XIV’s Response

Pope Leo XIV did not respond with anger. Instead, he responded with something far more powerful – calm and carefully considered conviction. The Pope remarked that he did not see his role “as that of a politician, I am not a politician, and I do not want to enter into a debate with him.”^[10]

“I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do” said Pope Leo XIV. He added, “We don’t deal with foreign policy with the same perspective he might understand it, but I do believe in the message of the Gospel, as a peacemaker.”^[11] The Pope stated,

“I do not think the message of the Gospel should be abused as some are doing. I continue to speak strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, dialogue, and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems. Too many people are suffering today, too many innocent lives have been lost, and I believe someone must stand up and say there is a better way.”^[12]

Absurd, Blasphemous Controversial, AI Generated Picture

What Trump did after a spat with the Pope is not only shocking but disturbing, an indefensible act, setting a new low: posting on his Truth Social Post, an AI generated picture depicting him (Donald Trump) as Jesus Christ, putting his hand on the forehead of a man lying in bed, supposedly healing him. The response to the AI generated image was public backlash^[13] and outcry, which the Daily Wire newspaper described as outrageously inappropriate and blasphemous.^[14] After public backlash, the picture was deleted, but Trump refused to apologize. In an interview, he admitted to posting the picture but said it was meant to depict him as a “a doctor, and had to do with the Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker there…”^[15] though there was no symbol of the Red Cross anywhere in the picture making it a laughable explanation indeed. With the worldwide economic and energy crisis, started by the Iran bombings and killings in West Asia, and destruction of civilian infrastructure started by his unprovoked bombing of Iran, one wonders what type of healing a lot of people President Trump is talking about.

Many were not impressed by President Trump's antics, including US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson who asked him to take down the image,^[16] christian commentators, bishops, conservative groups,^[17] and former Trump allies, and others who described the incident as a "mockery” of 1.4 billion catholics worldwide.^[18] 

US House Speaker Emerita, Nancy Pelosi, commenting on Trump's AI generated picture as Jesus Christ said, “you’d have to ask a psychiatrist,” adding that, “it isn’t even worthy of a conversation; it’s really worthy of a diagnosis."^[19]

Conservative Christian commentator, Megan Basham, a prominent voice in MAGA evangelical circles, said the picture was "outrageously blasphemous," adding that President Trump "needed to ask for forgiveness from the American people and from God."^[20]

Trump ally, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, said that Trump's behavior of attacking the head of the Catholic Church as “unacceptable.”^[21]

Catholic Bishop Robert Barron, who sits on the Religious Liberty Commission created by Trump, pointed out that “the President owes the Pope an apology" for his "inappropriate and disrespectful" statements.^[22]

Trump's remarks also drew criticism from Catholics around the world, with Italian Historian and Vatican expert, Massimo Faggioli, comparing the comments to the Papacy’s relationship with fascist dictators: "Not even Hitler attacked the Pope so directly."^[23]

An interview with three senior American cardinals, including Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago, Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington, and Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, described the Iran war as not meeting the Catholic standards of a just war, calling it instead, a "war of choice”serving as a damning judgement of Trump's involvement in Iran. In response to the question of demands for depoliticized priests, “I say fine,” Cardinal Blase J. Cupich replied, “I want to preach the Gospel. God wants us to promote peace in the world — because his desire is that we be one human family.”^[24]

Ideological Clash

All this drama, and exchange of words between Trump and the Pope, is serving to expose President Trump as aggressive and unpredictable, not only at odds with the American people but the majority of the world at large. In his worldview, diplomacy is to strut around the globe spewing puerile, profanity-laced threats meant to frighten or intimidate other presidents and prime ministers into acquiescence or submission. To some extent, Trump’s modus operandi worked. Too often, too many presidents and prime ministers opted to mollify him, instead of challenging him. And he might have thought the same modus operandi would work by attacking the head of the Vatican.

"Ownership of God" in the context of war or conflict is a frequently and fiercely contested concept. Both opposing sides to a war can claim "ownership of God" to justify their violent actions, legitimize that violence, provide spiritual comfort for heinous acts normally and usually committed in conflicts or wars. Trump just tried that by attempting to frame his Iran war as a "Godly" act but the Pope categorically rejected it. The first American born Pope challenged such a framework, pointing out that God is not all about that. All this drama and friction between Trump and the Pope are further practical examples of why "ownership of God" in a conflict or war situation remains a fiercely contested concept. In contrast to Trump's administration, the Pope made it clear that God does not like those who wage war and dish out violence. 

The Pope is Not Weak but Powerful

The Pope is not weak. When certain forces, interests and voices, including President Trump, describe Pope Leo XIV as weak, this statement expresses a different understanding of strength emanating from different ideologies at play. In Christian faith, strength is not measured by aggression, dominance, or harsh rhetoric, but by fidelity to truth, humility, and courage to call for peace. A Pope who urged dialogue over division and mercy over hostility is not acting from weakness, but from conviction rooted in the biblical teachings is not weak but indeed, powerful. A leader (church/spiritual) choosing moral clarity over political pressure, choosing truth over popularity, and choosing faithfulness (to life) over use of force and violence.... that is indeed powerful leadership and defines the essence of true leadership (church/ spiritual).

Pope Leo XIV, responded in a calm and dignified way, not raising his voice or engaging in personal attacks. Instead, he reframed the entire conversation, shifting it from individuals to principles. And delivered a message that is now spreading far beyond that moment, sparking conversations around the world. This was not a political confrontation. This was not a political message. It was a deeper, simple yet firm statement about truth, morality, and the duty of spiritual and church leaders

In his address as part of his Apostolic Journey to Equatorial Guinea, Pope Leo XIV noted, “the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the people of our time… are the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the followers of Christ as well.”^[25] Observing how “the lack of land, food, housing and dignified work coexists with access to new technologies", the Pope warned that “exclusion is the new face of social injustice” and stressed that “we also have to say ‘thou shalt not’ to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills.”^[26]

Such has been the Pope's response, rooted in his peace ideology. A message for the whole world. Not loud. Not harsh. But clear. 

Diplomacy of Force Not Dialogue

A number of possible reasons can be singled out as to why Trump is lashing out at the Pope. The Trump administration realized they cannot politically destroy the Pope, they can't remove him, or do their favourite and bomb the Vatican. The Pope is not a politician; he is above politics. The fact that the Pope is American may have had the Trump administration expecting a Pope more pliable to their foreign policy agendas, but this has not turned out to be so. It is reported that Pentagon officials summoned Vatican representatives in the US to suggest they get on board with the administration's military tactics creating a reaction from the Pope who cancelled his planned visit to the US.^[27] The report is reminiscent of when the Avignon Papacy was attacked by King Philip IV of France about 700 years ago.^[28]

As Donald Trump was attacking Pope Leo XIV on social media, the leader of Iran stepped in to defend the Pope. Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, posted a direct message to the Vatican's official account condemning what he called an insult to the Pope. Pezeshkian described Jesus as "the prophet of peace and brotherhood," and closed with an Islamic blessing:

“His Holiness Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex), I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran, and declare that the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person. I wish you glory by Allah.”^[29]

Supporters called it a remarkable moment of interfaith solidarity. Many pointed out the stunning optics: the leader of a Muslim theocracy publicly showing more respect for a Christian Pope than the President of the United States had. Some Christians and Muslims alike praised it as a genuine gesture that crossed religious lines. Some critics called it pure hypocrisy. Iranians in the diaspora flooded the replies with reminders that Iran's government persecutes Christians, enforces severe penalties for leaving Islam, and has imprisoned and killed protesters. Several replies called it calculated propaganda — timed perfectly to exploit a moment when Trump had handed Iran a gift. The neutral observers alike may have simply recognized thatIran's Islamic theocracy and religious leaders showed more public concern for the Pope than America's president.^[30]

Whether the gesture from the Iranian President was sincere, strategic, or both, it worked. Trump attacked the Pope. Iran defended the Pope.

Why the Trump-Pope Friction Matters

According to a Chinese-Canadian educator, Jiang Xuepin, this clash between Trump and the Pope matters for the sole reason that for an empire to maintain global dominance it simultaneously needs two types of forces. That is, raw military force and moral force which is essentially moral legitimacy. Whilst, military force ensures compliance, moral force or legitimacy generates consent. But here is the catch, when now a leader of 1.4 billion followers (Catholics) declares the Iran war as an unjust delusion, the moral pillar upon which the war is supposed to lean on cracks. The moral legitimacy is gone for Trump and his administration as far as the Iran war is concerned. Not only in America where voters are faced with upcoming elections where they have to vote for the Republicans and Trump, but also in Europe, in the Global South, and in Africa, leaders and nations now have a decision to make on whether to align with the US administration or move away from such an alignment. 

Historically, when Britain lost the moral force narrative in India, it lost an empire. The US lost the moral force narrative during the Vietnam war, and they also lost the war. According to educator Jiang, force or military power without legitimacy is nothing but unjustifiable violence. When the most powerful military institution (US) confronts the most powerful moral institution (Vatican) the military does not win, but the US empire falls. The empire loses moral credibility, then consent from friends and allies becomes difficult to come by or seize altogether. In Iran, the US may have a military force but certainly no moral force. This explains why many European powers in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are not enthusiastic about the Iran war because the administration has lost "moral force or moral legitimacy," especially so, by publicly confronting the Vatican. The uncalled-for altercation with the Vatican is harming the empire's global status by eroding moral authority, aligning the Vatican with global criticism of the US's "military adventurism", and reinforcing a growing global consensus that US policies under the current administration are morally indefensible. 

What is True Leadership: Role of Spiritual and Church Leadership 

The whole drama again raises the old question. What is true leadership? The lesson is clear: leadership is not about displaying power and force as Pope Leo XIV rightfully pointed out. Instead, true leadership is about serving and preserving the very life God has given us. It’s about respecting human dignity. It is never about shedding innocent blood. The lesson from all this for Africa is that true leadership is in service not pursuit of profit as Trump's war has been criticized by others as sustained and unrestrained desire for profit and personal ego. True leadership is about serving people, preserving people's lives, betterment of citizens' lives, respecting the law, respecting our own constitutions, not just pursuit of profit or greedy, individualistic selfish interests.

This exchange of words between Trump and the Pope has put in light the question on the role of spiritual leadership more so, the church. The Pope rightfully stood up against the war. The Pope's position is clear: no to war, no to violence, and instead there should be respect for human life, respecting the innocent, the children, the elderly, the sick, the disabled...and other Christian teachings. This is what spiritual or church leadership should stand for. 

Coming home, we must ask, what is African spiritual leadership standing for? What is the African church standing for? Pope Leo XIV has unequivocally provided the template, the moral blueprint and compass through which African spiritual and church leadership should navigate the turbulences of African politics, of African conflicts, of African wars: by saying no to violence, no to war, no to oppression, no to dictatorship, and standing on principle. Is African spiritual or church leadership standing on principle? Is it doing enough to fight for peace, to say no to any form of violence, or wars or conflicts? Is the spiritual or church leadership defending the innocent, the weak, the vulnerable, the sick, the elderly, the disabled etc?

Fortune Madondo is an African Teacher. He can be reached at  [email protected]

Endnotes