Phoenix Catholic bishop responds to Trump's criticism of Pope Leo
President Donald Trump (left) and Pope Leo XIV (right) (Photo of Pope Leo XIV: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
PHOENIX - The head of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Phoenix has responded to President Donald Trump's criticism of Pope Leo XIV.
The backstory:
On the night of April 12, Trump criticized the Roman Catholic pontiff via a post on Truth Social, describing Pope Leo as "weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy."
"I don’t want a pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon," Trump continued. "I don’t want a pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a country that was sending massive amounts of drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our country."
Trump went on to say that he liked the pope’s brother Louis better, claiming that the Port Charlotte, Florida, resident is "all MAGA." Pope Leo, whose real name is Robert Prevost, is the first American to become Pope when he was elected in 2025.
Featured
Trump blasts Pope Leo XIV on Truth Social: "Weak on crime" and foreign policy
President Donald Trump took aim at Pope Leo XIV in a Truth Social post on Sunday night following recent comments from the pontiff, and took credit for the Illinois native’s elevation to the papacy.
Pope Leo spoke with the Associated Press while on the papal plane en route to the North African country of Algeria, where he responded to Trump's post.
"To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is," Leo said. "And I’m sorry to hear that, but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today."
Speaking to other reporters, he added: "I’m not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the Church works for.''
Local perspective:
In a statement issued on April 13, Phoenix Diocese Bishop John Dolan wrote that the Pope is "elected through the sacred process of the conclave, carried out by the College of Cardinals under the guidance of the Holy Spirit."
"It is important to say clearly: the Holy Father is not a politician, nor should he be reduced to one," read a portion of Bishop Dolan's statement. "His role is to shepherd souls, to call us to holiness, and to point us toward Christ, the Prince of peace. When he speaks about peace, justice, or the moral dimensions of global affairs, he does so not as a partisan voice, but as a pastor of the universal Church."
Bishop Dolan also wrote that "The Church does not exist to advance political agendas, but to proclaim the Gospel, to form consciences, and to remind the world of the dignity of every human person."
"As Catholics, and as people of goodwill, let us remain rooted in Christ, respectful in our dialogue, and steadfast in our mission to be instruments of His peace in the world," Bishop Dolan wrote.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from a statement released by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, with supplemental information gathered from a relevant FOX 10 news report that was published on April 13, 2026.