Pope Leo XIV has firmly rejected claims that he supports nuclear weapons, responding to a tirade from US President Donald Trump who accused the pontiff of 'endangering a lot of Catholics' with his stance on the Iran war. Speaking to journalists on Tuesday evening after leaving the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo near Rome, the first US-born pope declared: 'The mission of the church is to preach the gospel, to preach peace.'
Pope's Response to Trump's Accusations
The pope made a plea for honesty in political debate, stating: 'If anyone wants to criticise me for proclaiming the gospel, let them do so with the truth: the church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons for years, there is no doubt about that. I simply hope to be listened to because of the value of God's word.' His remarks came after Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that the pope would rather say it is acceptable for Iran to possess a nuclear weapon, adding: 'I think he's endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people.'
Vatican Puzzlement and Tensions
In the Vatican, Trump's latest comments were met with bewilderment. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, told reporters: 'For me it seems a bit strange, to say the least.' This is not the first clash between the two leaders; in April, Trump lashed out at Leo after the pope criticised the US-Israel war on Iran, calling Leo 'weak on crime' and 'terrible on foreign policy,' and even sharing an AI-generated image of himself as a Christ-like figure before deleting it.
Upcoming Meeting with Marco Rubio
Pope Leo is scheduled to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican on Thursday in an effort to ease tensions. The meeting will be the first known private audience Leo has held with a member of Trump's cabinet since Rubio and Vice President JD Vance attended the pope's inauguration mass in May last year. US Ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch, described the conversation as expected to be 'frank,' while Rubio downplayed the rift, saying 'obviously we had some stuff that happened' but there is 'a lot to talk about with the Vatican.'
Political Undercurrents
Vatican correspondent Andrea Vreede noted that Trump's rivalry with Rubio may have triggered the latest outburst, as Trump 'believes in rivalry, in winning… perhaps he's trying to interfere with Rubio because Rubio is being a bit too diplomatic.' The meeting between Rubio and the pope could serve as a photo opportunity to show continued dialogue, but privately, Vreede expects it will not be a pleasant discussion. Rubio is also set to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday, whom Trump berated in April after she criticised his remarks against Leo.
Pope Leo, who marks his first year as pope on Friday, had not planned to speak this week until Trump's tirade. His impromptu chat with journalists reflected the necessity of addressing the escalating personal attacks, which Vreede likened to medieval conflicts between emperors and popes.
