Pope criticises 'tyrants' who spend billions on wars after Trump spat

The comments follow a high-profile spat with US President Donald Trump, who called the Pope weak on crime.

Pope Leo XIV stated that the world is being 'ravaged by a handful of tyrants' who spend billions on war, in comments that will be seen as another sharp escalation in his almost week-long feud with the White House over the US-Israel war on Iran. The first American-born pontiff did not mention Donald Trump by name, but used his speech in Cameroon on Thursday to denounce world leaders who invoke religion to justify violence against other nations.

Pope Leo XIV delivered a forceful appeal for peace and condemned what he described as 'a handful of tyrants' who are ravaging the world, in a speech on Thursday during a trip to four countries in Africa. Leo’s speech, delivered in northwestern Cameroon, came days after President Donald Trump sharply criticized the first U.S.-born pontiff in posts to social media. He also posted an apparently AI-generated image, later deleted, depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure.

During a visit to Bamenda, Cameroon, on April 16, 2026, Pope Leo XIV delivered a powerful message condemning global violence and exploitation, particularly in conflict-ridden areas like Cameroon's Anglophone Northwest Region. His stop in Bamenda is part of a ten-day tour of four African nations. Greeted warmly by thousands of residents, Leo XIV led a prayer for peace amid an ongoing separatist conflict that has claimed over 6,000 lives since 2016. The pope's visit brought a temporary three-day truce, offering rare moments of relief and hope to locals who live in fear of violence.

Pope Leo XIV warned against leaders who use religion to justify war and exploitation, urging a 'decisive change of course' during his visit to Bamenda, Cameroon.

Pope Leo XIV criticized leaders who use religious language to justify wars and urged a 'decisive change of course' during his visit to Cameroon, following attacks from U.S. President Donald Trump on social media.