Pope Leo has ended his trip to Africa (Image: Getty)
Pope Leo shared again his views on the war in Iran, just days after Donald Trump criticised him. The pontiff warned the US and Israeli bombing campaign has created a “chaotic situation for the global economy” and left “a whole population in Iran, of innocent people, which is suffering because of this war.”
Highlighting the human cost of the conflict, the 70-year-old revealed he carries a photo of a Lebanese Muslim boy who was killed in the war. The child had held a sign welcoming the pope during his visit to Lebanon at the end of last year. Speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane as he returned from an 11-day visit to Africa, Leo said: “As a pastor, I cannot be in favour of war. I would like to encourage all to make efforts to look for answers that come from a culture of peace and not from a place of hate and division.” He described the situation as “very complex,” pointing to stalled negotiations between Iran and the United States.
Read more: Italy break silence on Donald Trump ally’s dream World Cup plan to replace Iran
Read more: Trump lashes out at ‘anxious’ commentary as he warns Iran ‘it only gets worse’
“The negotiations they are trying to do – one day Iran says yes, and the United States says no, and vice versa, and we don’t know where it goes,” he said.
Despite his opposition to military action, the pope also issued a clear condemnation of Tehran’s deadly crackdown on protesters earlier this year.
Asked about the killings during nationwide demonstrations in January, he said: “I condemn all actions that are unjust. I condemn the taking of people’s lives. I condemn capital punishment. I believe that human life is to be respected,
“When a regime, when a country, takes decisions which take away the lives of people unjustly, then obviously that is something that should be condemned.”
His remarks come after a public clash with Donald Trump, who criticised the pope’s stance in the hours before he departed for Africa on April 13.
Leo had previously urged the US president to find an “off-ramp” to end the conflict and warned against using religion to justify war.
Donald Trump had launched a scathing attack on Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war (Image: AP)
The row continued to escalate, with the pope’s brother, John Prevost, stepping in on Thursday denying claims the pontiff had cancelled a planned trip to the United States.
Speaking to NBC Chicago, he said reports of a scrapped visit were “not true” and insisted: “At no time was the Pope planning a trip to the United States this year.”
His brother insisted the pontiff is not seeking confrontation, stressing his message is one of “peace and equality for all people.”
Tensions escalated after the pope condemned “tyrants” and “masters of war” who fuel conflict during a visit to Cameroon.
He warned of an “endless cycle of destabilisation and death” and criticised the misuse of religion.
In response, Donald Trump hit back, branding him “very liberal”, “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy”.
