Pope Leo XIV rages at 'arrogant, wicked' leaders as feud with Trump explodes

Pope Leo XIV has raged at “wicked” and “arrogant” figures amid his ongoing feud with US President Donald Trump.

Posting on X, the pontiff said: “God’s heart is torn apart by wars, violence, injustice and lies. But our Father’s heart is not with the wicked, the arrogant, or the proud. God’s heart is with the little ones and the humble, and with them He builds up His Kingdom of love and peace day by day. Wherever there is love and service, God is there.”

Many interpreted this as a swipe at US President Trump. One user replied: “‘But our Father’s heart is not with the wicked, the arrogant, or the proud’… No names needed. we all know who they are. Pope Leo won’t be silenced by Trump.”

Another added: “Trump has Pope Derangement syndrome. Please continue!”

Earlier this week, Trump branded Pope Leo “weak on crime” and ” terrible for Foreign Policy.”

He said: “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”

In response, the pontiff said: “I’m not afraid of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the church is here to do.”

The US President also sparked anger after posting an image of himself as Jesus Christ, before later deleting it.

Trump claimed he posted the image himself thinking it was depicting him as a doctor.

At the Vatican, visitors had Leo’s back while he’s away on a 10-day trip to Africa.

“It’s just ridiculous, because if the pope is not speaking about peace, and is not taking care of every person in the world, he’s not the pope,” said Joerg Soler, who was visiting the Vatican from Switzerland.

“It’s completely inappropriate,” said Mariella Acciaioli, a French tourist. “Things are getting too much. We need to mobilize everyone, especially our leaders, to deal with this behavior that is going beyond every limit.”