University of Notre Dame President Releases Statement in Support of Pope Leo After Scathing Attack from Trump

(Photo by Eric Vandeville/Abaca/Sipa USA) (Sipa via AP Images)

The president of the University of Notre Dame on Monday expressed support for Pope Leo XIV in response to President Donald Trump’s attack on the pontiff.

The previous day, Trump called out the Pope in a major escalation of tensions between the White House and the Catholic Church. He declared Pope Leo “weak on crime” in response to him repeatedly taking indirect shots at Trump’s administration over its immigration policy and the war in Iran.

Hours later, the Pope responded by saying he had “no fear” of the Trump administration and insisted that he was not trying to be political with his recent remarks. Pope Leo maintained that he was merely a “peacekeeper” who was “speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel.”

Since Trump’s comments, countless members of the Catholic Church have come out in support of the Pope. On Monday, the University of Notre Dame President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., published a statement saying:

Pope Leo XIV continues to proclaim the Gospel of Christ by upholding human dignity and serving as a tireless advocate for peace. His message transcends partisan political divisions in this or any country and I’m deeply grateful for Pope Leo’s inspiring example.

I ask members of the Notre Dame community to pray for peace and work together with all people of goodwill to build a more just and humane world.

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