During his flight to Algeria on Monday, Pope Leo informed Reuters that he remains committed to his anti-war stance despite facing direct criticism from President Donald Trump regarding his leadership of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
The pontiff made these remarks while beginning a 10-day journey across four African nations, marking the first such papal visit by an American pope. Leo expressed concern that Christian teachings are being misappropriated for inappropriate purposes.
“I don’t want to get into a debate with him,” Leo stated to Reuters. “I don’t think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing.”
The pope emphasized his determination to maintain his peace advocacy efforts. “I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems,” he declared in English.
Leo highlighted the human cost of global conflicts, stating: “Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.”
