Pope Leo rejects US President Donald Trump’s misrepresentation of his views on Iran and nuclear weapons, as the feud between the pair continues.
Speaking to reporters, Leo says the Catholic Church “for years has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt there.”
Trump again accused Leo in an interview today of being “OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.” Leo has said no such thing and Catholic Church teaching says the mere possession of nuclear weapons is “immoral.”
Leo doubles down on his insistence that his call for peace and dialogue in the US-Israeli war in Iran is biblically inspired.
“I’ve spoken from the first moment of being elected, and we’re near the anniversary: I said ‘Peace be with you,’” Leo says as he left his country house in Castel Gandolfo.
“The mission of the church is to preach the Gospel, to preach peace. If someone wants to criticize me for announcing the Gospel, let him do it with the truth,” Leo said. “And so I hope simply to be listened to about the value of the Word of God.”
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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
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