Pope Leo warned that the world is being ravaged by “tyrants,” in forceful comments made after US President Donald Trump attacked the pontiff for his stance on the war with Iran.
Leo has emerged as a strong critic of the conflict and his speech again preached a message of peace and rebuked leaders using religious language to justify war.
“The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters,” Leo said during a visit to Cameroon’s largest city, Bamenda, on Thursday.
The choice of location is significant – Bamenda is the epicenter of a bloody civil war that has resulted in more than 65,000 dead and over half a million displaced. The Pope heard testimonies from those caught up in the crisis, including nuns who had been kidnapped.
He condemned those who “manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”
On the exploitation of African resources, the Pope was equally direct: “Those who rob your land of its resources generally invest much of the profit in weapons, thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilization and death.”
Trump began his attacks on Leo on Sunday evening, denouncing his stance on the Iran war and calling him “terrible for foreign policy.” “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo,” Trump told reporters.
Leo responded aboard his flight Monday: “The things I say are not meant as attacks on anyone,” but added, “I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel.”
