Pope follows Trump row by condemning 'tyrants' ravaging world with war

Pope Leo has condemned a "handful of tyrants" for ravaging the world, following a deepening public rift with Donald Trump over his Iran war.

The pontiff also criticised those who "manipulate religion and the very name of God" for military and economic gain, on Thursday during a visit to Cameroon.

"The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters," he said.

The US president responded to the remarks when questioned by reporters outside the White House: "I can disagree with the Pope... I have a right to disagree with the Pope".

He said it was "very ​important" for ‌the Pope to understand ​that Iran is a threat to the ​world. "This is ⁠the real world," he added.

Earlier, the Pope addressed the faithful in Cameroon: "Blessed are the peacemakers. But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth."

He also criticised those who spend billions on "killing and devastation".

"The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild," he said.

Pope Leo's swipe at world leaders who are fighting wars came after the US president attacked him for being "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy".

The Pope has called for peace in the Middle East, igniting a flurry of late-night Truth Social Posts from Mr Trump that criticised the pontiff.

The president said: "We don't like a Pope who says its ok for Iran to have a nuclear weapon."

"We don't want a Pope who says crime is ok in our cities. I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo," he later told reporters.

In response, Pope Leo said he had "no fear of the Trump administration" and his role was not political, adding that he didn't want to "get into a debate" with the US president.

Mr Trump also published an AI generated image on Truth Social that appeared to show him as a Jesus Christ figure.

He later deleted the post following criticism and said: "It's supposed to be me as a doctor making people better."

On his trip to the western Cameroon city of Bamenda, Pope Leo called for peace in the central African country that has been gripped by insurgency violence for more than a decade.

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Speaking at St Joseph Cathedral, the Pope said: "Those who rob your land of its resources generally invest much of the profit in weapons, thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilisation and death."

"It is a world turned upside down, an exploitation of God's creation that must be denounced and rejected by every honest conscience," he said.

The conflict in Cameroon's two Anglophone regions is rooted in the country's colonial history, when it was divided between France and Britain after World War I.

English-speaking regions joined French Cameroon in a 1961 vote, but separatists argue they have since been marginalised.

In 2017, English-speaking separatists launched an insurgency with the goal of breaking away from the French-speaking majority and establishing an independent state.

On the eve of Leo's arrival, separatist fighters announced a three-day pause in fighting for the visit.

(c) Sky News 2026: Pope follows Trump row by condemning 'tyrants' ravaging world with war