UN Pope: World is being ravaged by tyrants - Pontiff accuses world leaders of manipulating religion for own military gain amid escalating war of words with Trump

Pope Leo releasing a bird during an engagement in Cameroon on Thursday
Credit: Reuters

The Pope has said the world is “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants” amid an escalating war of words with Donald Trump.

During a visit to Cameroon, Pope Leo accused world leaders of manipulating religion for their own “military, economic and political gain”.

He said: “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.

“They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found.”

The first American Pope, 70, has been an outspoken critic of the war in Iran, drawing anger from the Trump administration.

Earlier this week, the US president attacked the pontiff for his stance on the Middle East, claiming he was “WEAK on crime and terrible for foreign policy”.

“Will someone please ⁠tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least ‌42,000 innocent, completely unarmed protesters ‌in the last two ⁠months, and that ⁠for Iran to have a nuclear bomb is absolutely ‌unacceptable,” he said on Wednesday.

Mr Trump then posted an AI-generated image depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure, triggering backlash from his Catholic supporters in the US.


The AI-generated image Mr Trump posted to his Truth Social account

In a thinly veiled response on Thursday, the Pope added: “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.

“It is a world turned upside down, an exploitation of God’s creation that must be denounced and rejected by every honest conscience.”

The Catholic leader, who is from Chicago, delivered his comments during a meeting in Bamenda, the largest city in Cameroon’s anglophone regions. More than 6,500 people have been killed in fighting between the government and anglophone ⁠separatist groups in the area, according to ⁠the International Crisis Group.


Catholics gathered outside the Saint Joseph Cathedral in Bamenda to greet Pope Leo
Credit: Reuters/Guglielmo Mangiapane

Mr Trump launched his first attack on the Pope on the eve of his tour of Africa, before repeating the comments on Tuesday.

Senior figures in the Trump administration have supported the US president’s criticism, with JD Vance warning the Pope to be careful.

At an event in Georgia on Tuesday, the US vice-president was heckled as he criticised the pontiff’s stance on war.

“How can you say that God was never on the side of those who wield the sword?” Mr Vance asked. “Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated France from the Nazis? Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated Holocaust camps?”

Mike Johnson, the Republican leader of the House of Representatives, also said the Pope should “expect some political response” to his comments about the conflict in the Middle East.

On Monday, Pope Leo made it clear that he would not stop speaking about the war in Iran, but had avoided responding directly to Mr Trump since then.

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[X Prime]

Seems to me the solution is to just make Trump the pope.

Imagine the improvement.

 

[frozen_runner]

This Pope not being a de facto improvement over the last one is a real blackpill.

It's a good thing I'm not obligated to believe everything this faggot says.

 

[OrionBalls]

Pope continues to say standard Pope things. Everyone freaks out. Do any of you really think this guy cares about what Trump thinks of him?

 

[Disdainer of the Plebs]

Typically Popes would lean into sticking it to Islam, especially when Christendom is way stronger militarily than the Islamic world is. Christianity has really only ever lost territory to the Mohammedians.

Then you get King Christcuck here crying for barbarian infidels who would cream their pants at the opportunity to saw his head off on livestream, enslave his subordinates, loot the Vatican’s treasures, burn the city state he rules to the ground, and convert his followers at gunpoint.

I really don’t find his posturing respectable. If this was war between Christian polities, his rhetoric would be permissible, even valuable, but Islam achieved its place in the world by victimizing Christians (really anyone within reach, if you wanna know the truth about it) and everyone would be wise to remember that.

I suspect he will change his tune when he finds himself in range of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, the development and employment of which is a primary casus belli for the current round of hostilities that his “holiness” is criticizing.

 

[Schwarzwald]

Pope continues to say standard Pope things. Everyone freaks out. Do any of you really think this guy cares about what Trump thinks of him?View attachment 8866335

Standard historically or standard for the last two or three Popes specifically?

I also think, based on their words and actions, both Trump and Pope Leo pretty clearly care what each other think, say, and do. The Papacy is half religious post, half political post. Do you really think the sitting Pope doesn't care what the leader of the world's sole superpower, from the nation which he's from no less, thinks?

 

[Sexy Senior Citizen]

This Pope not being a de facto improvement over the last one is a real blackpill.

He was chosen because he's a hard leftist. The Vatican lost a lot of money when Trump began cracking down on refugees and illegals, and they hoped a liberal American pope would get Trump to dial it back.

 

[ZazietheBeast]

Wrong set of Tyrants. It would be the WEF stooges who are purposely making everything worse to realize their dream of a world of slavery.

 

[curbside2]

He was chosen because he's a hard leftist. The Vatican lost a lot of money when Trump began cracking down on refugees and illegals, and they hoped a liberal American pope would get Trump to dial it back.

The Vatican also happens to have the strictest border policies in the world.

 

[Demonslayer1776]

Pope continues to say standard Pope things. Everyone freaks out. Do any of you really think this guy cares about what Trump thinks or says?View attachment 8866335

I think he is being intentionally disingenuous on a certain level that is unbecoming of his position. He is too intelligent of a man for me to believe he doesnt know how his words are interpreted, and he hides behind ambiguity to pretend he didnt say that.

Take the start of this for instance. He said “God does not bless any conflict. Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs”. He did not say something to the effect of "All war is evil, but it is sometimes necessary". He did not even say something to the effect of "While war is vile but sometimes are necessary, I do not believe the Iran war is necessary". He does intentionally say that disciples of Christ are not on the side of those who drop bombs. This is in contradiction to many historical examples, and he is speaking from a place of personal opinion, not church authority. He does not address this in a direct and honest manner, because it would justify more scrutiny and its easier to hide behind a generic statement. At the same time, he, as the pope, is questioning the legitimacy of believers who disagree on a controversial issue. This is not an issue like abortion that is clearly defined in church teachings. It is an issue that rightfully divides Christians, it doesnt have an easy answer.

For a leader who claims to be a unifier, I find it extremely questionable to imply those kinds of judgements, and if he were to do so, it should be in an honest fashion for people to defend themselves. He has the conviction to call into question others faith, but not the conviction to state it clearly. Its cowardice.

Many of his other statements such as more acceptance of Islam may be aimed at other demographics, but again, I do not feel he can ignore context. It cannot be ignored that he is making statements like this at a time of controversy, and I do not believe he is that careless with his words. He cannot make any of these statements with assertion, because they contradict the mission and purpose of the church, but he still insists on backing the globalist philosophy.

I am not a catholic but have always appreciated their tradition. I am glad I am not catholic currently, because I am incredibly skeptical of a leader who is disingenuous to his followers this way, while ignoring the tenants and history of the church that grants him authority in the first place.

 

[One_True_Yuri]

>the world is being ravaged by Tyrants
Oh so the Pope is finally admit-
>amid an escalating war of words with Donald Trump

Yeah thats what I thought, political jousting with Trump. I dont see the Pope doing anything to fix the problems with the Catholic church and guide more people to the Kingdom of God. Trump at least cares about America

 

[Fred Herbert]

Stay away from the altar boys, pedo.

 

[Montalbane]

Seems pretty rich coming from the guy whose subordinates wine and dine with robber barons in summits where they decide how to best flood a country with third world biomass.

 

[Kankichi Ryotsu]

Cucktholics trying to convince everyone that this time the Pope is based for real and that his words are just poorly translated for the nth time.

 

[Naproxen Sodium]

This Pope not being a de facto improvement over the last one is a real blackpill.

It's a good thing I'm not obligated to believe everything this faggot says.

That's what everyone forgets. Unless he is speaking ex-cathedra, it is literally about the same as listening to anyone else's opinion on a topic. Catholics should pray for him though.

 

[NSA]

Noooo you can't kill terrorists! Give terrorists nukes because love! Something something Jesus!

Get the millstone out.

The Pope commits blasphemy every day by pretending to speak for God, Trump's boomer AI meme doesn't even compare.

 

[Abeni Kato]

Typically Popes would lean into sticking it to Islam, especially when Christendom is way stronger militarily than the Islamic world is. Christianity has really only ever lost territory to the Mohammedians.

Then you get King Christcuck here crying for barbarian infidels who would cream their pants at the opportunity to behead him, enslave his subordinates, loot the Vatican’s treasures and burn the city state he rules to the ground.

I really don’t find his posturing respectable. If this was war between Christian polities, his rhetoric would be permissible, but Islam achieved its place in the world by victimizing Christians.

I suspect he will change his tune when he finds himself in range of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones.

That's why I voted for Tedesco

 

[Dr J]

This Pope not being a de facto improvement over the last one is a real blackpill.

I really can't believe that you or anyone else thought he would be. A) The Catholic Church is just another co-opted institution and B) the commie previous Pope had enough time and clout to appoint the likeminded cardinals who've appointed his successor

 

[31 Black]

Seems pretty rich coming from the guy whose subordinates wine and dine with robber barons in summits where they decide how to best flood a country with third world biomass.

A friend sent me this the other day, and it pissed me off, even as a non Catholic.

"In Europe, fears are present but often generated by people who are against immigration and trying to keep out people who may be from another country, another religion, another race. I would say that we all need to work together." Pope Leo XIV

We are willing to work together. What democrats, liberals, and leftists fail to understand is they, the islamist sand niggers aren't willing to work together.

Does anyone remember the game show Friend or Foe from the early 2000s? If both parties end on friend, they split the pot. If both go foe, neither gets the pot. But if one goes friend and the other goes foe, the foe takes the whole pot. Democrats pick friend every time with the people who blatantly pick foe, and they wonder why antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia, crime, and cost of living keep getting worse.

 

[Fount of BadSpeak]

This wetback heretic worships Muslims and is actively supporting and pushing White Replacement. I genuinely hope this evil scumbag gets killed by one of the mudslimes he adores.

Cucktholics trying to convince everyone that this time the Pope is based for real and that his words are just poorly translated for the nth time.

I see you have spoken to our resident LARPer Preacher as well. Really all the poor bastards seem to have is to either say that what the Pope says doesn't matter (which is a lie) or to say that the Pope totally doesn't mean what he said (which is also a lie) to cope with the Pope being evil. Martin Luther is right yet again.