Pope Leo XIV Decries World Ruled by "Tyrants"

Pope Leo XIV used a stop on his April 15-18 apostolic journey to Cameroon to denounce "a handful of tyrants" spending billions on war, in remarks widely read as a rebuke of President Donald Trump and the ongoing Iran conflict.

The Pope's Message

Speaking to local Catholics, Leo argued that resources poured into weapons should be redirected to the world's poorest. The pontiff has used his early months in office to articulate a sharper public theology around peace, sanctions and the moral status of preventive war.

Trump's Response

Trump responded on social media that Leo was "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," claiming the pope had supported Iran possessing nuclear weapons.

"No Fear" Statement

Asked by NBC News about the exchange, Leo said he had "no fear of the Trump administration." The brief comment, delivered in transit between Cameroon stops, marked one of the most direct papal responses to a sitting US president in recent memory and signaled that Leo intends to keep speaking.