‘World is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants,’ says Pope Leo amid feud with Trump administration

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By: Express Global Desk3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Apr 17, 2026 10:10 AM IST Pope Leo XIV and US President Donald Trump. (File Photo) Make us preferred source on Google Whatsapp twitter Facebook Reddit PRINT Amid a feud with US President Donald Trump’s administration over the war in West Asia, US-born Pope Leo XIV delivered his latest statement on Thursday that the world is being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants” in an apparent dig at Trump. At the start of his Africa tour, Pope Leo said, criticising those who had manipulated “the very name of God” for their own gain. Meantime, US Defense ​Secretary Pete Hegseth cited biblical scriptures to attack the media over their alleged negative coverage of the US-Israeli war against Iran. He compared reporters to Pharisees, the Jewish adversaries of Jesus Christ plotting “how ‌to destroy him.” “The Pharisees scrutinized every good act in order to find a violation. Only looking for the negative. The hardened hearts of our press are calibrated only to impugn,” he said, as quoted by news agency Reuters. The developments came after the US Catholic bishops’ doctrine committee on Wednesday offered him support after US Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, suggested that the pontiff be more “careful.” The chairman, Bishop James Massa, said the Pope is not offering opinions on theology but “preaching the Gospel.” These statements mark the latest rounds in the war of words between the Catholic Church and the MAGA lobby, who have repeatedly cited religious scriptures to justify the military campaign. This week, Trump criticized Pope Leo, accusing him of being “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” after he called for an end to the war. After that, on Tuesday, the feud escalated when the US President uploaded an AI image of himself as a Jesus-like figure. The images were deleted after sparking outrage online. Speaking on the President’s actions Vance said, “Of course, he took it down because he recognized a lot of people weren’t understanding his humor in that case.” In response, the Pope said he does not fear the Trump administration and added that the Vatican’s appeals for peace are rooted in the Gospel. The Chicago-born clergyman, who was elevated to the papacy last year, has been a vocal critic of Donald Trump and his policies. Following reports of immigration crackdowns, the pontiff said that foreigners in the US are being treated in an “extremely disrespectful way”. The Express Global Desk at The Indian Express delivers authoritative, verified, and context-driven coverage of key international developments shaping global politics, policy, and migration trends. The desk focuses on stories with direct relevance for Indian and global audiences, combining breaking news with in-depth explainers and analysis. 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