Pope Leo XIV told reporters Monday morning that he was unafraid of the Trump administration, hours after President Trump lashed out at the pontiff on social media.
Responding to questions by reporters aboard the papal plane to Algeria on Monday, Pope Leo XIV said: “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 [U.S. President Donald Trump].”
Speaking to a different journalist, Leo said: “I have no fear of neither the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel. And that’s what I believe I am called to do and what the Church is called to do. Weʼre not politicians. Weʼre not looking to make foreign policy, as he calls it, with the same perspective that he might understand it. But I do believe that the message of the Gospel, ‘blessed are the peacemakers,’ is a message that the world needs to hear today.”
In other comments during the flight, the pope called the trip to Algeria “truly a blessing for me personally, but I believe also for the Church and for the world, because we must always seek bridges to build peace and reconciliation.”
Leo said St. Augustine, who was from what is modern-day Algeria, “serves as a vital bridge in interreligious dialogue and is deeply loved in his homeland, as we shall see.”
He called the journey to Africa “a precious opportunity to continue with the same voice and the same message, because we want to promote peace, reconciliation, and respect and consideration for all peoples.”