Pope Leo said on Monday (April 13) he had no fear of the Trump administration, after the U.S. President's direct attack on the leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church.

In comments aboard the papal flight to Algiers, where the first U.S. pope is starting a 10-day tour to four African countries, the pontiff also said that he will continue to speak out against war.

"I have no fear of either the Trump administration nor speaking out loudly about the message of the gospel," Leo told journalists on the plane, adding that it "is the message the world needs to hear today."

Leo, originally from Chicago, has emerged as an outspoken critic of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in recent weeks and decried the "madness of war" in a peace appeal on Saturday (April 11).

Trump, in an apparent response to the pope's criticisms of both the conflict and the White House's hard-line immigration policies, said late on Sunday (April 12) that Leo was "terrible."

"Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

IN AIR (APRIL 13, 2026) (VATICAN MEDIA - For news use only)

1. POPE LEO WELCOMING MEDIA ABOARD PAPAL PLANE

2. MEDIA

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) POPE LEO SAYING (SOUNDBITE STARTS ON PERSON ASKING POPE QUESTION):

"I have no fear of either the Trump administration nor speaking out loudly about the message of the gospel. And that's what I believe. I am called to do what the Church is called to do. We are not politicians, we are not looking to make foreign policies as he calls it, with the same perspective that he might understand. But I do believe that the message of the gospel - blessed are the peacemakers - is the message the world needs to hear today."

4. MEDIA

5. VARIOUS OF POPE GREETING MEDIA