WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump has launched a sharp public attack on Pope Leo XIV, escalating tensions between the White House and the Vatican amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he is “not a fan of Pope Leo,” describing the pontiff as “weak on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.” He also criticised the Catholic Church’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Pope’s stance on key geopolitical issues.

“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s ok for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela,” Trump wrote.

The president also suggested that Leo’s election as the first US-born pope was politically motivated. According to Trump, cardinals chose him because they believed it would help them “deal with President Donald J. Trump.”

Speaking to reporters shortly after the post, Trump doubled down on his criticism, calling the pontiff “a very liberal person” and adding: “He’s a man that doesn’t believe in stopping crime. I’m not a fan of Pope Leo.”

The remarks come after Pope Leo publicly criticised the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran. During a sermon in St Peter’s Basilica, the Pope denounced what he described as “the delusion of omnipotence” driving the conflict and called for an end to violence.

“Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!” Leo said, urging global leaders to prioritise dialogue and peace.

The clash highlights a growing divide between the two figures. Pope Leo, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, has repeatedly condemned the escalation of the Iran conflict and called for negotiations, while Trump has defended his administration’s actions and military strategy.

Tensions have been building for weeks, with the Vatican increasingly vocal in its criticism of the war and its humanitarian consequences, and the US administration maintaining a hardline stance on Iran.

Trump’s latest comments mark the most direct attack yet on the Pope, bringing an unprecedented public confrontation between an American president and an American pontiff into the spotlight.