Pope Leo XIV leaves on the finish of a gathering for peace at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral in Bamenda, Cameroon, with the local people, April 16, 2026, on the fourth day of his 11-day pastoral go to to Africa.
Andrew Medichini/AP
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Andrew Medichini/AP
LAGOS, Nigeria — Pope Leo XIV has delivered hanging remarks in Cameroon, condemning world leaders who, he mentioned, are “ravaging the world” by spending billions on conflict.
The feedback come amid a rising public dispute with President Trump over the continuing conflict in Iran.
In a speech in St. Joseph’s Cathedral within the Cameroonian metropolis of Bamenda, the pope sharply criticized those that use faith to justify army actions.
“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,” he said.
“Blessed are the peacemakers!” he mentioned. “But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”
Whereas a few of the pope’s remarks had been directed on the separatist battle in Cameroon, talking from a metropolis on the coronary heart of the battle within the central African nation, his broader message was undeniably world.
“The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants,” he mentioned, “yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters.”
Pope Leo’s African journey comes amid his sturdy opposition to the continuing U.S. and Israeli-led conflict with Iran. His requires peace have drawn sharp criticism from the White Home.
Over the weekend, President Trump attacked the pope as “weak on crime and soft on foreign policy,” suggesting that Leo ought to deal with non secular issues fairly than politics. In a single put up, Trump shared an AI-generated picture of himself as Christ, which he later deleted.
JD Vance, Trump’s vice chairman and a transformed Catholic, additionally criticized Pope Leo, telling him to “stay out of politics” and focus solely on “matters of morality.”
Presently in Cameroon, Pope Leo’s African tour focuses on selling unity, peace, and stronger interfaith relationships.
However the journey has been overshadowed by the escalating divide between the Vatican and Washington, because the pope’s requires peace unfold amid a rising and more and more private conflict with President Trump — notably hanging provided that Pope Leo is the primary American to guide the Catholic Church.
