Pope Leo XIV has launched a fresh broadside against world leaders who spend billions on war, in comments interpreted as a further escalation of his feud with the Trump administration over the US-Israel war on Iran. Speaking in Cameroon on Thursday, the first American-born pontiff declared that the world is being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants” who invoke religion to justify violence, without naming Donald Trump directly.
The pope’s remarks came as US bishops offered strong backing to the Holy Father after Vice-President JD Vance, a converted Catholic, publicly challenged his stance on the war. Vance told a Turning Point USA event that the pope should “stick to matters of morality” and questioned his understanding of “just war theory”. The bishops responded by affirming that the pope’s position is consistent with a 1,000-year tradition which permits war only in self-defence once all peace efforts have failed.
During his 11-day African tour, Pope Leo made clear he does not fear the White House. “I do not see my role as that of a politician… I continue to speak strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, dialogue and multilateralism,” he told reporters earlier this week. On Wednesday, Trump posted an AI-generated image on Truth Social showing himself embraced by Jesus, days after deleting a similar image after backlash from religious supporters.
In a separate development, the Miami Herald reported that the Trump administration is ending a long-standing $11m contract with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, which shelters unaccompanied immigrant children. Archbishop Thomas Wenski said the decision, an apparent act of retaliation, would force the charity to shut down the programme within three months, ending more than 60 years of partnership with the government.
