Pope Leo XIV on Saturday sought to downplay a spat with US President Donald Trump over the Iran conflict, saying his comments had been misread.
Speaking aboard his flight to Angola — the third stop on his 10-day Africa tour — the pontiff said a remark he made in Cameroon earlier this week that the world was being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants” was not directed at Trump.
“As it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate the president, which is not in my interest at all,” Leo told reporters, adding that much of what followed had been “commentary on commentary” trying to interpret his words.
He said he would continue to preach the Gospel message of peace, reconciliation and bridge‑building while not shying away from speaking out against war. Leo noted his Cameroon speech had been prepared two weeks earlier — well before Trump criticized him as being soft on crime and poor on foreign policy.
The dispute stems from Trump’s April 7 warning that a “whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran did not comply with orders to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Leo called the threat “truly unacceptable” and questioned whether it breached international law.
Trump responded on April 12 by saying he was “not a big fan of Pope Leo,” accusing the pontiff of “toying with a country [Iran] that wants a nuclear weapon.” He later reiterated the view on Truth Social: “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.” The president also posted — then deleted — an AI-generated image casting himself in a Jesus-like pose, a move that drew criticism even from some of his usual religious backers.
In Angola, Leo traveled in the popemobile to meet President João Lourenço amid cheering crowds in Luanda. Addressing political leaders, he denounced tyranny and the “social and environmental disasters” caused by unchecked exploitation of natural resources.
“How much suffering, how many deaths, how many social and environmental disasters are caused by this logic of exploitation?” he asked, criticizing perceptions of Africa as a place “to take” resources from and urging that this cycle of interests be broken.
He also called on African nations to overcome “dynamics of conflict and enmity that tear apart the social and political fabric of many countries, fostering poverty and exclusion.”
Angola’s 36.6 million people still contend with the legacy of nearly three decades of civil war after independence in 1975, which left hundreds of thousands dead and much infrastructure devastated. More than 30% of the population lives on under $2.15 (€1.83) per day, according to the World Bank. The country has become a leading oil producer in sub‑Saharan Africa, with oil making up about 95% of exports.
Leo’s African tour began in Algeria, continued in Cameroon and will move on to Equatorial Guinea after Angola. The itinerary is among the most ambitious ever for a pope, encompassing stops in 11 cities across four countries and covering nearly 18,000 kilometers (11,185 miles) over 18 flights.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery