Pope Leo XIV warned that the world is being “ravaged by tyrants” after engaging this week in a feud with President Donald Trump over the war in Iran.
“The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters,” Leo said in a speech in Cameroon on Thursday.
The pope also condemned those who “manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”
War Secretary Pete Hegseth previously called for Americans to pray for victory in Iran “in the name of Jesus Christ,” and frequently references his Christian faith, praying for God to strike down the nation’s enemies.
THE POPE, THE PRESIDENT, AND A PRESS THAT’S JUST MAKING IT UP
On Sunday, Trump began his attacks on the pope, saying he was “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.”
The pope responded on Monday, saying, “The things I say are not meant as attacks on anyone,” adding that he has “no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.