Pope Leo XIV has rejected President Donald Trump's claim that he supports Iran having nuclear weapons, stating his mission is 'to preach peace.' The U.S.-born pontiff made these comments to reporters Tuesday night after departing the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo, Italy.
Key Takeaways
Pope Leo XIV has denied President Donald Trump's accusation that he supports Iran having nuclear weapons, stating his mission is 'to preach peace.' The pope made these comments after Trump criticized him on a radio show. According to multiple reports, the majority of Americans support the pope's call for peace in Iran.
The pope's remarks came in response to comments Trump made Tuesday on conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt's radio show. According to UPI, Trump accused Pope Leo of 'endangering Catholics and a lot of people' by suggesting it was acceptable for Iran to have nuclear weapons. The president said, 'I don't think that's very good.' However, the pope clarified that his stance has always been against all nuclear weapons.
The pontiff emphasized that he would continue to call for peace despite criticisms, saying, 'The mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel, to preach peace. If someone wants to criticize me for preaching the Gospel... I hope simply to be listened to because of the value of God's words.' This dispute comes as Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepares to meet with Pope Leo in Italy this week.
According to The Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll, reported by UPI, 66% of Americans support the pope's call for peace, while 57% reacted negatively to Trump's post falsely stating that the pope supports Iran having nuclear weapons. The disagreement has also led to tensions between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a former Trump ally.
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