Pope Leo XIV Clarifies 'Tyrants' Speech Not Aimed at Trump

Pope Leo XIV has clarified that his recent remarks criticizing "tyrants" for ravaging the world were not directed at US President Donald Trump.

The Pope emphasized that the speech was written two weeks before Trump's public comments and was not intended as a debate with the US leader.

The remarks were part of a speech delivered in Cameroon during the second leg of the Pope's African tour.

The speech condemned leaders who ignore the billions spent on wars while neglecting resources for healing, education, and restoration.

Pope Leo expressed regret that his comments were interpreted as a response to Trump's criticism and insisted he had no interest in debating the US president.

He described much of the media coverage as "commentary on commentary," attempting to misinterpret his words.

This clarification comes amid heightened tensions between the Vatican and the White House, particularly over issues related to Iran and nuclear weapons.

President Trump had criticized the Pope on April 12, accusing him of "toying with a country (Iran) that wants a nuclear weapon" and calling him "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for foreign policy." The Pope's visit to Cameroon included a high-security stop in Bamenda, a city affected by a nearly decade-long English-speaking separatist insurgency.

His speech condemned "an endless cycle of destabilisation and death" in the region but was not aimed at any individual leader.

Speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane en route to Angola, Pope Leo stressed that the speech was prepared well before Trump's comments and that the narrative suggesting a direct confrontation was inaccurate.

President Trump's criticism extended to a social media post on Truth Social, where he doubled down on his comments and shared an AI-generated image portraying himself as a Jesus-like figure, which drew criticism from various quarters.

Pope Leo has consistently called for peace and dialogue and condemned the use of religious justification for war.

He described Trump's threat to annihilate Iranian civilisation as "truly unacceptable." The Pope is continuing his 11-day tour of Africa, emphasizing calls for peace and restoration in conflict-affected regions.

What remains unclear is how the ongoing public exchange between the Vatican and the White House will evolve, especially given the Pope's commitment to speaking out on the US-Israeli war against Iran.

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