Pope Leo XIV on Saturday sought to minimize a recent squabble with U.S. President Donald Trump over remarks about the Iran standoff, saying his earlier comments had been misunderstood. Speaking on the flight to Angola, the third stop on his 10‑day Africa tour, the pontiff insisted a line delivered in Cameroon about the world being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants” was not aimed at the U.S. president.
“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 the fallout had been “commentary on commentary” seeking to read more into his words. He said he will continue to preach the Gospel’s message of peace, reconciliation and bridge‑building while still speaking out against war. Leo noted his Cameroon speech had been prepared two weeks earlier, before Mr. Trump criticized him as soft on crime and poor on foreign policy.
The exchange traces back to Mr. 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 that threat “truly unacceptable” and questioned whether it broke international law. Mr. Trump replied 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 posted on Truth Social, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.” The president also briefly posted and then deleted an AI‑generated image that depicted him in a Jesus‑like pose, a move that drew criticism even from some usual religious supporters.
In Luanda, Leo rode in the popemobile to greet cheering crowds and met President João Lourenço. Addressing political leaders, he denounced tyranny and condemned the social and environmental damage caused by unchecked exploitation of natural resources, asking how much suffering and how many deaths stem from a mentality that treats Africa as simply a source to be taken from. He urged breaking that cycle and overcoming “dynamics of conflict and enmity” that tear apart societies and deepen poverty and exclusion.
Angola, with about 36.6 million people, still bears the scars of nearly three decades of civil war that followed independence in 1975, a conflict that left hundreds of thousands dead and infrastructure devastated. According to the World Bank, more than 30% of Angolans live on under $2.15 (€1.83) a day. The country has emerged as a major oil producer in sub‑Saharan Africa, with oil accounting for roughly 95% of exports.
Pope Leo’s tour began in Algeria, continued in Cameroon and will next include Equatorial Guinea after Angola. The itinerary is one of the most ambitious in recent papal history: 11 cities across four countries, nearly 18,000 kilometers (about 11,185 miles) and 18 flights over the course of the trip.