From OSV News:
President Donald Trump on May 5 continued his series of social media and verbal attacks on Pope Leo XIV, accusing him in a radio interview of “endangering” Catholics through his opposition to the Iran war.
Trump claimed in an interview that aired May 5 with Hugh Hewitt, a conservative talk radio host, that “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,” Trump said.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that Pope Leo, the first U.S.-born pontiff, supports Iran having nuclear weapons; however, the pontiff never made any such statement and has consistently called for the rejection of nuclear weapons.
The president accused the pontiff of “endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people” by opposing the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.
“But I guess if it’s up to the pope, he thinks it’s just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump claimed.
In comments May 5 to journalists in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Pope Leo said that ever since his election, the anniversary of which is days away, “I said, ‘Peace be with you,’ and the Church’s mission is to preach the Gospel, to preach peace.”
“If anyone wishes to criticize me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so with the truth,” Pope Leo said. “The Church has spoken out for years against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt about this, and I simply hope to be heard for the sake of the Word of God.”
And the pope responded. Again:
Before he returned to Rome from Castel Gandolfo on Tuesday evening, Pope Leo XIV spoke briefly to reporters and responded to the latest critical remarks made about him by US President Donald Trump.
“The mission of the Church is to proclaim the Gospel, to preach peace,” he said. “If someone wants to criticize me for proclaiming the Gospel, let him do so truthfully.”
Speaking outside Villa Barberini, his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo recalled that the Church has consistently spoken against nuclear weapons.
“For years, the Church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt on that point,” the Pope said, responding to President Trump’s claim that the Pope considers it acceptable for Iran to possess nuclear weapons, thereby placing all Catholics at risk.
“I simply hope to be listened to because of the value of the word of God,” Pope Leo XIV stressed, reiterating that he has spoken clearly “from the first moment I was elected, and now we are close to the anniversary. I said: ‘Peace be with you’.”
Regarding his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, scheduled for Thursday, May 7, the Pope expressed his hope that it would be “a good dialogue,” approached “with trust and openness,” so as “to understand one another well.”
