‘Reject the Logic of Violence and War’: Pope Continues Advocating for ‘Peace’ Undaunted by Criticism from Trump, Vance

AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia

Pope Leo XIV continued advocating for peace in several social media posts Wednesday, undaunted by recent criticism from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Recently, Trump has been dialing up the aggressiveness of his attacks on Leo for his outspoken advocacy against numerous wars, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and more recently the U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran, as well as criticizing the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

Earlier this month, Trump posted a lengthy rant on his Truth Social account, lambasting the pope as “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” — plus taking credit for Leo, formerly known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, becoming the first American pope last year.

The pope has previously criticized the Trump administration directly, objecting to his immigration policies, taking issue with Vice President JD Vance’s comments about the theological concept of ordo amoris, and rejecting Trump’s invitation to join his newly-formed “Board of Peace.” The war in Iran has sparked more intense and express critiques from the pontiff; last month he urged Christian political leaders who start wars to examine their “conscience” and “go to confession.”

On Sunday, the president posted and then deleted a meme showing him as Jesus healing a sick man. Trump claimed he thought it was showing him as a doctor or Red Cross worker — a claim that was met with immediate skepticism, as well as widespread backlash, including from Trump’s MAGA base.

Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, has joined Trump in criticizing Leo, scolding the pontiff to “be careful” when talking about “matters of theology” — a comment that drew its own round of backlash.

On Wednesday, Leo published several social media posts during his trip to Africa on the subjects of war and peace.

“Let us reject the logic of violence and war, and embrace peace founded on love and justice—an unarmed peace, not based on fear, threats or weapons,” he wrote. “This peace is disarming, because it is capable of resolving conflicts, opening hearts, and generating trust, empathy, and hope. I strongly reiterate: The world thirsts for #Peace! Enough of war and all the pain it causes through death, destruction, and exile!”

A subsequent tweet directly addressed government officials like the pope’s critics in the Trump administration.

“#Peace is everyone’s responsibility, beginning with civil authorities,” wrote Leo. “To govern means to love one’s own country as well as neighboring countries. The commandment “love your neighbor as yourself” is equally applicable to international relations!”

Leo also shared a transcript of a speech he delivered at the presidential palace in Yaoundé, Cameroon; several passages referenced war, peace, and the responsibilities of elected officials:

I come among you as a shepherd and as a servant of dialogue, fraternity and peace. My visit is an expression of the affection of the Successor of Peter for all Cameroonians, as well as of the desire to encourage each of you to keep moving forward with enthusiasm and perseverance in building the common good. We are living, in fact, at a time when hopelessness is rampant and a sense of powerlessness tends to paralyze the renewal so deeply desired by peoples. There is such a hunger and thirst for justice! A thirst for getting involved, for a vision, for courageous choices and for peace!

…Sixteen hundred years ago, Saint Augustine wrote words that have great relevance today: “Those who rule serve those whom they seem to command; for they rule not from a love of power, but from a sense of the duty they owe to others — not because they are proud of authority, but because they love mercy.” From this perspective, serving one’s country means dedicating oneself, with a clear mind and an upright conscience, to the common good of all people in the nation. This includes dedication to both the majority of the population and the minorities, as well as their mutual harmony.

Today, like many other nations, your country is facing complex difficulties. The tensions and violence that have afflicted certain regions of the Northwest, Southwest and Far North have caused profound suffering: lives have been lost, families displaced, children deprived of schooling and young people no longer see a future. Behind the numbers are the faces, stories and shattered hopes of real people. In the face of such dramatic situations, I called on the human family at the beginning of this year to reject the logic of violence and war, and to embrace a peace founded on love and justice. A peace that is unarmed, that is, not based on fear, threats or weapons, and at the same time disarming, because it is capable of resolving conflicts, opening hearts and generating trust, empathy and hope. Peace cannot be reduced to a slogan: it must be embodied in a way of life that renounces all forms of violence, both personally and institutionally. For this reason, I strongly reiterate: “The world is thirsting for peace… Enough of war, with all the pain it causes through death, destruction and exile!” This cry is intended as an appeal that contributes to the efforts for an authentic peace, prioritizing it over any partisan interest.

Peace, in fact, cannot be decreed: it must be embraced and lived. It is a gift from God, which unfolds through patient and collective effort. It is everyone’s responsibility, beginning with civil authorities. To govern means to love one’s own country as well as neighboring countries; the commandment “love your neighbor as yourself” is equally applicable to international relations! To govern means truly listening to citizens, valuing their intelligence and their ability to help build lasting solutions to problems. Pope Francis pointed out the need to move beyond “the idea of social policies being a policy for the poor, but never with the poor and never of the poor, much less part of a project which can bring people back together.”

…Brothers and sisters, on closer reflection, the high offices you hold demand a twofold witness. The first is achieved through the collaboration of the various agencies and administrative levels of the State in the service of the people, and especially of the poor. The second is accomplished by carrying out your institutional and professional responsibilities with integrity and upright conduct. [4] Indeed, in order for peace and justice to prevail, the chains of corruption — which disfigure authority and strip it of its credibility — must be broken. Hearts must be set free from an idolatrous thirst for profit: true profit comes from integral human development, that is, the balanced growth of all the aspects that make life on this earth a blessing.

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