Pope Leo XIV criticized the U.S. and Israel's strikes on Iran over the weekend and found criticism from MAGA when he said that "stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats."
President Donald Trump said that the U.S. military was "knocking the crap out of Iran" but the "big wave" of attacks is still yet to come, and has not ruled out putting boots on the ground, saying the war is progressing "way ahead of schedule."
Trump has urged Iranians to revolt, even as the regime reshuffles leadership following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and some of his associates.
The Pope took to X to stress the value in "reasonable, sincere, and responsible dialogue" over war.
He wrote:
"I am following with deep concern what is happening in the Middle East and in Iran during this tumultuous time. Stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats, nor through the use of weapons, which sow destruction, suffering, and death, but only through reasonable, sincere, and responsible dialogue."
"Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of immense proportions, I make a heartfelt appeal to all the parties involved to assume the moral responsibility of halting the spiral of violence before it becomes an unbridgeable chasm."
"May diplomacy regain its proper role, and may the well-being of peoples, who yearn for peaceful existence founded on justice, be upheld. And let us continue to pray for peace."
You can see what he wrote below.
@Pontifex/X
MAGA followers were not happy.
Pope Leo was previously criticized by MAGA supporters after they became aware of an article he once shared that criticized Vice President JD Vance because "Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others."
Notably, the Pope previously condemned the Trump administration on social media for Trump’s “anti-immigrant rhetoric” back in 2015. He later reposted messages criticizing the death penalty, mass deportations, and Congress’s failure to act on gun reform after mass shootings.
Pope Leo is distinguished as the first member of the Order of St. Augustine to lead the Catholic Church. Founded in 1244, the Augustinian order has approximately 2,800 members across 47 countries and is guided by three core values: “truth, unity, and love.”
If that bothers MAGA, well, that says a lot.
