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Pope Leo rejects claim he supports nuclear weapons after Trump tirade

Pontiff responds after US president accuses him of ‘endangering a lot of Catholics’ with stance on Iran war

Angela Giuffrida in Rome, 7 May 26

Pope Leo has said he has never supported nuclear weapons and that those who criticise him need to speak the truth, in response to Donald Trump’s latest tirade accusing him of “endangering a lot of Catholics” with his stance on the Iran war.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday night after leaving the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, the first US-born pontiff said: “The mission of the church is to preach the gospel, to preach peace.”

Leo, who is to meet the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, in the Vatican on Thursday in an effort to ease tensions sparked by previous Trump broadsides, made a plea for honesty in political debate.

“If anyone wants to criticise me for proclaiming the gospel, let them do so with the truth: the church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons for years, there is no doubt about that,” the pope said. “I simply hope to be listened to because of the value of God’s word.”

Earlier in the day, Trump told Hugh Hewitt, a prominent conservative radio talkshow host: “The pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, and I don’t think that’s very good.

“I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people. But I guess if it’s up to the pope, he thinks it’s just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”

In the Vatican, the latest remarks were met with puzzlement. Asked on Wednesday how he evaluated the attacks, Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, told reporters: “For me it seems a bit strange, to say the least.”…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/06/pope-leo-rejects-claim-he-supports-nuclear-weapons-trump-tirade-iran-war

May 7, 2026 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Religion and ethics