ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — During his flight to Cameroon on Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV reinforced his commitment to promoting peace and dialogue, even as President Donald Trump’s public attacks against the pontiff persist without pause.
Speaking with reporters while traveling as part of his ongoing African tour, Leo XIV emphasized that his message of harmony represents what “the world needs to hear today.” The pope refrained from directly addressing Trump’s most recent social media attacks or Vice President JD Vance’s warning that the pontiff should “be careful” when discussing theological matters.
Rather than taking questions from the press, Leo XIV concentrated on discussing his recent stop in Algeria and the teachings of St. Augustine of Hippo, who serves as both the foundation of his religious order and his personal spiritual guide.
However, the pope’s remarks appeared to acknowledge the Trump administration’s disapproval of his appeals for peace regarding the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.
Throughout this week, Trump has launched multiple attacks against the first pontiff born in the United States, claiming Leo XIV lacks strength on criminal justice issues, serves leftist interests, and owes his papal position to Trump’s influence. The president also briefly shared, then removed, an artificially generated image depicting himself in a Christ-like manner, which drew widespread criticism from supporters and opponents alike.
In his latest overnight social media activity, Trump responded with “Not good!!!” to a post highlighting Leo XIV’s pre-papal criticisms of the former president. Trump also wrote: “Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable.”
Leo XIV highlighted his Tuesday visit to Annaba, historically known as Hippo, where St. Augustine served as bishop for over three decades and established himself as a major theological and philosophical figure in early Christianity.
“His writings, his teaching, his spirituality, his invitation to search for God and to search for truth is something that is very much needed today, a message that is very real for all of us today as believers in Jesus Christ, but for all people,” Leo XIV stated.
Through his pilgrimage to Hippo, the pope explained his intention to present both the church and global community with St. Augustine’s vision of pursuing “unity among all peoples and respect for all people in spite of the differences.”
Leo XIV noted that while Algeria’s population is predominantly Muslim, its people still revere St. Augustine as “one of the great sons of their land.” He described this perspective as instrumental in creating connections between Christian and Muslim communities while encouraging meaningful dialogue.
The pope also referenced his time at Algiers’ Great Mosque, where he participated in quiet prayer.
“I think the visit to the mosque was significant to say that although we have different beliefs, we have different ways of worshiping, we have different ways of living, we can live together in peace,” he explained.
“And so I think that to promote that kind of image is something which the world needs to hear today.”
The conflict between Trump and Leo XIV began after the pope criticized warfare and declared that God does not support those who use bombs. Leo XIV also described Trump’s promise to destroy Iranian civilization as “truly unacceptable.”
