Donald Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV’s stance on foreign policy and crime, prompting a response from Poland’s Primate Wojciech Polak on April 13-14.
Trump Criticizes Pope Leo XIV
Donald Trump assessed Pope Leo XIV as “weak” on crime and “disastrous” in foreign policy on Monday, April 13th, via Truth Social. The American president criticized the head of the Church for opposing U.S. operations in Iran and Venezuela.
“I don’t want a pope who criticizes the President of the United States, because I’m doing exactly what I was elected to do,” Trump wrote. He further stated that Leo XIV is pope thanks to him and should focus on that role, rather than “being a politician.”
Primate Polak’s Response
Archbishop Wojciech Polak, the Primate of Poland, issued a statement in response to media inquiries. “Pope Leo XIV said: ‘I am not a politician and I do not want to enter into polemics with the president.’ I fully identify with this statement of the Pope. I too am not a politician and will not enter into any polemic with the President of the USA,” Archbishop Polak wrote on Tuesday, April 14th.
Like the Pope, the Archbishop appealed for an end to conflicts worldwide, expressing support for Pope Leo’s call for peace and praying for an end to war and the prevention of innocent deaths.
Pope Leo XIV’s Appeal for Peace
President Trump’s comments followed a series of statements from Pope Leo XIV calling for peace in Iran and an end to “the madness of war.”
On April 7th, Leo XIV stated that “there is a threat to the entire Iranian nation and this is truly unacceptable.” He also questioned the legality and morality of operations in Iran.
The Pope encouraged citizens of all involved countries to contact their leaders and urge them to take action for peace, and previously appealed directly to Trump to find a way to end the conflict.
Echoes of Stalin’s Question
A reference was made to Joseph Stalin’s historical question about the Pope’s military strength, with Donald Trump posing a more direct question about the United States’ military power and the expectation that others should listen to America.
