Pope Leo has sought to play down reported tensions with Donald Trump, saying it was “not in my interest” to engage in a public debate with the US leader.
Speaking to reporters aboard a flight to Angola during his ongoing Africa tour, the pontiff said media coverage of his recent remarks had not been entirely accurate. He clarified that comments made earlier in Cameroon — in which he said the world was being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants” — were not directed at Trump.
According to the pope, the speech had been prepared weeks in advance, before Trump publicly criticised him. The US president had earlier described Leo as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” in a social media post, amid growing differences over the US-Israeli conflict involving Iran.
Despite the criticism, Pope Leo indicated he would continue to speak out on global conflicts and inequality but would avoid personal exchanges. “It was interpreted as if I was trying to debate the president, which is not the case,” he said.
The pope, originally from Chicago, has recently adopted a more assertive tone during his multi-country Africa tour, where he has strongly condemned war and global disparities.
The visit, one of the most extensive papal tours in recent years, includes stops across multiple African nations and spans thousands of kilometres, highlighting the Vatican’s focus on the region.