DID Press: International reactions continue to expand following comments by US President Donald Trump directed at Pope Leo XIV, the leader of the Catholic Church, with criticism emerging from religious figures and political actors in the United States and beyond.
According to multiple international media reports, opposition to Trump’s remarks intensified on Monday and Tuesday, with senior Catholic Church officials in the United States and other public figures expressing concern over the language used.
The Pope, according to CBS News citing senior American cardinals, has recently emphasized Catholic teachings opposing unjust war and called for peace, including in relation to tensions involving Iran.
Paul S. Coakley, head of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was disappointed by what he described as “disparaging words” from the U.S. president, stressing that the Pope is “not a political rival and is not a politician.”
Antonio Spadaro, editor of La Civiltà Cattolica, said Trump appeared to be pressuring the Pope to retreat from his positions, while the Pope speaks in a moral framework beyond politics and coercion.
In the U.S. political sphere, Senator Pramila Jayapal criticized the remarks as disrespectful and suggested they could revive discussions around the 25th Amendment.
Trump had previously described the Pope as “weak” on crime and foreign policy issues and said he “hates” him, while also making comparative personal remarks involving family members.
Separately, a letter from Iranian cleric Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani praising Pope Leo XIV’s anti-war and peace-oriented positions has gained attention in media coverage, with analysts interpreting it as a rare signal of interfaith alignment against war and violence.