Donald Trump has renewed his war of words with the Pope over Iran, after trading blows with him over the state of the world.
Earlier on Thursday, Pope Leo made a pointed criticism of world leaders who spend billions on wars, adding that the planet is being ‘ravaged by a handful of tyrants’.
He also blasted those he claimed had manipulated ‘the very name of God’ for their own gain.
Responding to the American pope’s comments at the White House, Trump claimed the pontiff did not understand ‘the real world’.
He added: ‘It’s a nasty world. If the Pope would allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon, he cannot do that.
‘The pope has to understand: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. The world would be in great danger.’
Asked whether he would meet the Pope to hash out any differences between them, Trump dismissively said: ‘ I don’t think it’s necessary.’
Earlier, Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullaly, the head of the Church of England, said she is standing in solidarity with Pope Leo following his comments.
She also urged those in positions of political power to pursue every ‘possible peaceful and just means of resolving conflict’.
Speaking in a ‘bloodstained’ region of Cameroon, Pope Leo said on Thursday: ‘Those who rob your land of its resources generally invest much of the profit in weapons.
‘Thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilisation and death,’ he added. ‘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.’
Mullaly said following his comments: ‘I stand with my brother in Christ, His Holiness Pope XIV, in his courageous call for a kingdom of peace.
‘As innocent people are killed and displaced, families torn apart, and futures destroyed, the human cost of war is incalculable. It is the calling of every Christian – and of all people of faith and goodwill – to work and pray for peace.
‘We must also urge all those entrusted with political authority to pursue every possible peaceful and just means of resolving conflict.’
But Trump is not happy with Pope Leo, on Sunday claiming he is ‘a very liberal person’ who is ‘WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy’.
He also said that Leo was only made Pope ‘because he was an American’, and ‘If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.’
He added: ‘I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess.
‘We don’t like a pope who says it’s okay to have a nuclear weapon. We don’t want a pope that says crime is okay. I am not a fan of Pope Leo.’
