Pope Leo said Wednesday that his visit to Africa offers a message of unity and peace that “the world needs to hear” as he continues to face criticism from the U.S. president and vice president over his stance on the Iran war.
Pope Leo XIV noted that while on the papal plane from Algeria to Cameroon, he visited the Great Mosque of Algiers, the largest in Africa, and the birthplace of St. Augustine of Hippo, the influential Christian who inspired him to become a priest.
The pope said that going to the mosque showed that “we have different beliefs, we have different ways of worship, we have different ways of life, but we can live together in peace.”
He added: “I think promoting images like that is something the world needs to hear today.
President Trump hits back at Pope Leo with a war of words
President Donald Trump has once again criticized Pope Leo on social media, continuing his war of words against the Pope.
Mr. Leo’s trip to Africa begins with the Muslim-majority country and comes after he increasingly criticized the U.S. military operation in Iran. He emphasized the Pope’s position as a counterweight to the Trump administration.
The Pope’s willingness to summon the US president on the world stage signals a significant escalation in tensions between Washington and the Vatican. President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance have made a series of sharp statements directed at Catholic Church leaders throughout the week, and the Pope, who declared earlier this week that he is “not afraid of the Trump administration,” shows no signs of backing down.
The pope departed for Africa just hours after President Trump launched an unusual broadside attack on the pope and his stance on war, after which the president posted an image of himself seemingly as a Jesus-like figure. The image has since been removed.
Vance, a Catholic, spoke at a Turning Point USA event on Tuesday and said the pope should be “careful” when he talks about theology and question his understanding of just war theory, a standard for morally just conflict that Catholic thinkers have developed over centuries.
The central architect of the teachings of just war is St. Augustine of Hippo, whom Leo admired during his stay in Algeria. Augustine – a bishop of the late 4th and early 5th centuries – is the spiritual father of the Augustinian Order, of which the Pope is a member and former leader.
Leo emphasized that Augustine remains an “important figure” through his writings, teachings, and spirituality.
“His invitation to the search for God and truth is so needed today,” Leo said in English on a flight from Algiers to Cameroon’s capital Yaounde. He pointed out that Augustine’s memory is respected in Algeria, even though the majority of the population is Muslim.
The Pope said St. Augustine offered “the Church and the world” a vision that includes “strives to build community, seek unity among all peoples, and respect all peoples, despite differences.”
President Trump showed no signs of backing down from the feud on Tuesday night, calling it “unacceptable” for Iran to have a nuclear bomb.
“Can someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent and completely unarmed protesters in the last two months and that Iran’s possession of a nuclear bomb is completely unacceptable,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
See in photos: Pope Leo’s visit to Africa
Leo, the first Pope to visit Algeria, expressed his gratitude to the Algerian authorities for making his visit possible. He also paid tribute to the small but important presence of the Catholic Church in Algeria.
While in Cameroon, he will address the internal conflict between the French-speaking government and English-speaking separatists, and will also participate in peace talks.
The Pope’s trip to Africa, which also includes visits to Angola and Equatorial Guinea, ends on April 23.
