Pope Leo has criticized leaders who spend billions on wars and said the world was 'being ravaged by a handful of tyrants' during a visit to Cameroon.
The pontiff blasted those he said had manipulated 'the very name of God' for their own gain while touring a region ravaged by a deadly insurgency.
The remarks come just days after a high-profile spat with US President Donald Trump, who posted a lengthy attack on the Pope, a vocal critic of the US-Israeli military operation in Iran.
The Pope had voiced his concern about Trump's threat that 'a whole civilisation will die' if Iran did not agree to US demands to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz.
Leo, the first US-born Pope, has previously also questioned the Trump administration's approach to immigration. 'Leo should get his act together as Pope,' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post at the time.
The Pope told reporters at the start of his Africa tour that he did not want to get into a debate with Trump but would continue to promote peace.
Speaking in Cameroon, he criticized leaders who '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.'
'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 stated.
The Pope also condemned 'an endless cycle of destabilisation and death' in a 'bloodstained' region of Cameroon that has been gripped by insurgency for nearly a decade. '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 addressed the gathered crowd.
'Peace is not something we must invent: it is something we must embrace by accepting our neighbour as a brother and as our sister,' the Pope continued.
Following Leo's address, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, expressed support for the Pope's 'courageous call for a kingdom of peace'. This ongoing war in Iran has increasingly placed the Pope and the Trump administration at odds, especially after the attacks from the U.S. and Israel. The Pope emphasized that Jesus cannot be used to justify wars, reiterating his stance that God rejects prayers offered by those who wage war.
Trump stated it is important for the Pope to understand that Iran poses a threat to the world, particularly regarding nuclear potential. He affirmed that while the Pope can express his views, he is entitled to disagree.
This Africa tour will include visits to 11 cities across four countries, underscoring the significance of Catholicism in the region, where over a fifth of the world's Catholics reside.
