Pope Leo says that he plans to continue speaking out against war even after US President Donald Trump's direct attack on the leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church.
Speaking to journalists on Monday aboard the papal flight to Algiers, where the first US pope is starting a 10-day tour to four African countries, the pontiff also said the Christian message was being "abused".
"I don't want to get into a debate with him," Leo said. "I don't think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing."
"I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems," he said, speaking in English.
Outspoken critic of US-Israeli war on Iran
"Too many people are suffering in the world today," said the pope. "Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there's a better way."
"The message of the church, my message, the message of the Gospel: Blessed are the Peacemakers. I do not look at my role as being political, a politician," he said.
Leo, originally from Chicago, has emerged as an outspoken critic of the US-Israeli war on Iran in recent weeks and decried the "madness of war" in a peace appeal on Saturday.
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 that Leo was "terrible".
"Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
