Pope Leo stresses message of peace and unity despite another Trump attack
US-born pontiff urges respect for all people, says his travels have shown importance of pursuing dialogue between different communities
Pope Leo has said the world needs to hear a message of peace and coexistence, after US President Donald Trump attacked him for a second time this week on social media.
Speaking on Wednesday during his flight from Algeria to Cameroon for the second leg of a whirlwind 10-day Africa tour, the first US pontiff urged respect for all people and said his travels so far had shown the importance of pursuing dialogue between different communities.
“Although we have different beliefs, we have different ways of worshipping, we have different ways of living, we can live together in peace,” said Leo, referring to his two days in mostly Muslim Algeria, where the Catholic Church is a small minority.
“To promote that kind of image is something which the world needs to hear today.”
Trump, who attacked Leo as “terrible” on the eve of the pope’s tour, doubled down in a social media post late on Tuesday, despite widespread backlash from US Christians across the political spectrum.
Leo, who marks one year as leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church in May, kept a relatively low profile for a pope in his first 10 months but in recent weeks has become an outspoken critic of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
The pope said on Monday that he planned to keep criticising the war, regardless of Trump’s comments. US Vice-President J.D. Vance also said on Tuesday it was important for the pope “to be careful when he talks about matters of theology” when referring to conflict.