Pope Leo XIV said yesterday that violence must always be a last resort and rejected United States President Donald Trump’s claim that he supports Iran having a nuclear weapon. Source: EWTN News.
Mr Trump has repeatedly said he doesn’t want a pope who thinks Iran should have a nuclear weapon, even though Pope Leo has never endorsed that view and has consistently spoken against nuclear arms.
In a doorstop interview outside the papal villa of Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV said: “I have already spoken from the very first moment of being elected, and now we are close to the [first] anniversary [of Leo’s election]. I said, ‘Peace be with you,’ and the Church’s mission is to preach the Gospel, to preach peace.
“If someone wants to criticise me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so truthfully.
“The Church has spoken for years against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt there. And so I simply hope to be listened to for the value of God’s words.”
His comments come two days before a scheduled meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Mr Trump said on Tuesday on the conservative podcast The Hugh Hewitt Show: “The Pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think that’s very good. I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people, but I guess if it’s up to the Pope, he thinks it’s just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
On April 12, Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social: “I donʼt want a pope who thinks itʼs OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
Pope Leo has never said Iran should have nuclear weapons, and he has spoken specifically against nuclear weapons: “May the nuclear threat never again dictate the future of humanity,” he said in a March 5 video message.
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Pope Leo XIV says violence is a last resort, rejects Trump’s claim about supporting nuclear weapons (By Javier Romero and Brian Schumacher, EWTN News)
