Pope Leo xiv has repeatedly criticized President Trump for the Iran war, and yesterday, Trump hit back.

The pope’s comments, though not directly naming Trump or Iran, have been direct and sharp:

• “God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war,” the pope said on March 29, misapplying Isaiah 1:15. The comment came after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth encouraged Americans to pray for victory.
• “God does not bless any conflict,” the pope posted on X on Friday. “Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.”
• “Enough of the idolatry of self and money!” he said on Saturday. “Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life.”
• “Dear brothers and sisters, there are certainly binding responsibilities that fall to the leaders of nations,” he said in the same message. “To them we cry out: Stop! It is time for peace! Sit at the table of dialogue and mediation, not at the table where rearmament is planned and deadly actions are decided!”

A cardinal sin? American Catholic cardinals were more specific when Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C., and Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark appeared on 60 Minutes on Sunday:

• McElroy stated the Iran war “is not a just war.”
• Cupich accused the White House of “gamification” of war, “dehumanizing the victims of war by turning the suffering of people and the killing of children and our own soldiers into entertainment.”

Trump strikes back: After weeks of criticism from Catholic leaders, Donald Trump inevitably took the bait, posting on Truth Social yesterday:

Pope Leo is weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy. … I don’t want a pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. I don’t want a pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a country that was sending massive amounts of drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers and killers, into our country. … If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican. Unfortunately, Leo’s weak on crime, weak on nuclear weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama sympathizers like David Axelrod, a loser from the left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested. Leo should get his act together as pope, use common sense, stop catering to the radical left, and focus on being a great pope, not a politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church! President DONALD J. TRUMP

This morning on a flight to Algeria, the pope responded, “I don’t want to get into a debate with him”—then said the gospel was being “abused” by some people:

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.

Uniting the world against America: After Pope Francis died last summer, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote: “One of Pope Francis’s most notable legacies is his attack on the American economic system.” Now Pope Leo is a powerful moral voice against American foreign policy.

The Bible is full of examples of God blessing conflicts. For a more accurate explanation of what the Bible says on the subject of war and peace, and how it applies to the war on Iran, read our article “Will America Win?” in our latest Trumpet print magazine.

Bible prophecy shows that, soon, a pope will use the full force of his office to encourage a crusade against Iran. But that fight will be led by a European superpower, not the United States.

• For now, uniting Europe against America is a bigger priority, and so the pope preaches peace—a significant departure from previous popes, as even many Catholics have pointed out.
• The pope is painting the U.S. and Israel as bloodthirsty aggressors and helping intensify Europe’s opposition to this war.

In pushing for compromise with Iran, Pope Leo is helping an evil regime survive. But uniting the world against America is the larger goal right now. To learn more, read Mr. Flurry’s article “Pope Francis’s Real Legacy.”