Pope Leo XIV said today he is not afraid of the administration of Donald Trump and has no intention of engaging in a debate with the U.S. leader, following criticism directed at him.
“I am not a politician, I have no intention of entering into a debate with him. The message is always the same: to promote peace,” the Pope said in remarks to journalists traveling with him during his visit to Algeria.
Leo XIV arrived in Algeria today for a historic visit — the first ever by a Pope to the country — marking the start of an 11-day trip across Africa, which had already been overshadowed by harsh criticism from Trump before it began.
Amid global tensions fueled by the war in the Middle East, the U.S. president strongly criticized the Pope, saying he was “not a big fan” of him.
Read more about this topic: Trump says Pope Leo XIV is “terrible on foreign policy” (with videos)
Leo XIV had previously spoken out against the conflict in the Middle East.
In a gesture that could be interpreted as support for the Pope, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — considered close to Trump — issued a statement earlier today wishing him a successful trip to four African countries.
In Algiers, the Pope was welcomed with honors under heavy rain by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, with a gun salute fired as he disembarked from the papal plane.
“This trip to Algeria is very special,” Leo XIV said upon arriving in the homeland of Saint Augustine, whose thought influences his pontificate.
Read more about this topic: Iran War: Pope Leo XIV praises ceasefire and calls for peace talks (with video)
“This great 4th-century Christian thinker is a very important bridge in interfaith dialogue, and this journey represents a precious opportunity to continue promoting peace and reconciliation with respect and consideration for all peoples,” he added.
Peaceful coexistence will be central to the Pope’s message in the country of 47 million people, where Sunni Islam is the official religion.
During the first stop of his two-day visit, Leo XIV will pay tribute at the Martyrs’ Memorial to victims of the Algerian War of Independence against France (1954–62), a gesture acknowledging the nation’s painful history.
He will then meet President Tebboune and deliver his first address to authorities and the diplomatic corps.
Read more: Angola: poverty remains central Pope Leo’s visit (with video)
In the afternoon, he is scheduled to visit the Grand Mosque — a monumental complex with the tallest minaret in the world — before heading to the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa, an iconic Christian church overlooking Algiers Bay.
During an interfaith gathering bringing together Christians and Muslims, the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics will call for fraternity in a country where Catholics make up less than 0.01% of the population.
This trip marks the beginning of the Pope’s first major international tour. The 70-year-old pontiff will also visit Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea between April 13 and 23, covering 18,000 kilometers on a tightly packed schedule.
On a more personal pilgrimage, the Pope will travel on Tuesday to Annaba, near the Tunisian border — the ancient city of Hippo Regius, where Saint Augustine once served as bishop.
