Pope, Other Catholic Leaders Respond to Trump’s Attack
April 14—Catholic leaders were sharp in their response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s attacks on Pope Leo in his April 12 Truth Social rant. Leo himself responded when asked by journalists on his flight to Algeria, first stop of his Africa trip: “I think that the people who read will be able to draw their own conclusions: I am not a politician, I have no intention of entering into a debate with him [Trump]. Rather, let us always seek peace and put an end to wars. I am not afraid of the Trump administration. I speak about the Gospel, I am not a politician. I do not think the message of the Gospel should be abused in the way some people are doing. I will continue to speak out loudly against war, to try to promote peace, multilateral dialogue between states in order to seek the right solution to problems. The message of the Church is the message of the Gospel, blessed are the peacemakers; I do not see my role as that of a politician, I do not want to enter into a debate with him. Too many people are suffering in the world.”
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a brief response: “I am disheartened that the President chose to write such disparaging words about the Holy Father. Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.”
Bishop Robert Barron of Rochester, Minnesota, a prominent conservative voice who serves on Mr. Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, said Trump’s remarks “were entirely inappropriate and disrespectful. They don’t contribute at all to a constructive conversation. It is the Pope’s prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the moral life.” He encouraged Trump administration officials to reach out and meet with Vatican officials “so that a real dialogue can take place.”
Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education, wrote a powerful response in a statement on X: “If Leo were irrelevant, he would not merit any comment. Instead, he is invoked, named, opposed—a sign that his words matter. This is where the Church’s moral force emerges. Not as a counter-power, but as a space in which power is judged by a standard it does not control.”