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News & Current Events Apr 13, 2026 at 9:16 AM

Pope Leo hits back at Trump’s lambasting, extending feud over Iran war with first American pontiff

Posted by Expensive-Horse5538


Trump says he won't apologize to Pope Leo and explains his reason for posting much-criticized meme
AP News
Trump says he won't apologize to Pope Leo and explains his reason for posting much-criticized meme
President Donald Trump is refusing to apologize to Pope Leo XIV after criticizing the pontiff's opposition to the war in Iran.

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ontrack 6 days ago +143
It was actually a pretty measured and careful response, in line with his personality. I'd hesitate to call it a feud, or rather it's a one sided feud.
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Expensive-Horse5538 6 days ago +48
I agree - poor headline choice IMO, however, at the end of the day, the only person acting like it’s a feud is Trump
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iamPendergast 6 days ago +21
Deliberate choice, and I doubt they consider it poor. Everything is "slammed" etc now to drive engagement. It's tiring.
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Heffe3737 6 days ago +4
Journalism took the wrong lessons from social media. When it comes to news, "engagement" should forever come secondary to the truth.
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Khaldara 6 days ago +11
Anyone who even slightly criticizes his behavior, or expects him to be even tangentially in touch with empirical reality equates to instant feud material. It’s why ignorant conservatives love him so much. Hell you can find an example of this on pretty much any given day just by his responses to a journalist asking an innocuous softball question, then watching him Immediately freak out and insult the person making the query.
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quadralien 6 days ago +13
If the pope wanted to stoop to Trump's level, he would have just written "Grandpa, drink your prune juice. It's time for bed."
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P0Rt1ng4Duty 6 days ago +14
The last thing trump needs is prune juice. Think of the poor soul who has to change his diaper later!
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Khaldara 6 days ago +3
The White House janitorial staff in charge of toilet maintenance is going to need years of funding for ptsd.
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Bruvvimir 6 days ago +9
Press pressing. Shameful that AP stoops to this.
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dshookowsky 5 days ago +1
Part of me expects that they're intentionally pressing his buttons after being ousted for calling him on his Gulf of America bullshit.
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Cynical_Classicist 6 days ago +9
Yep. It's Trump starting an enmity without a proper reason, like destroying the US relationship with Canada because... because.
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Frank_E62 6 days ago +6
I will say that "delusions of omnipotence" is a phrase that hits hard and might just be the perfect description of trump and his henchmen. No wonder the Trumpsters are pissed. Heh
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sthlmsoul 6 days ago +3
Trump feuds with everything and everything. He knows no other way to interact with the world around himself. Pope is on point with the gospel and his role in promoting as the leader of the Catholic Church. Unsurprisingly Trump understands none of this and only wants loyalty and support that he has done nothing to earn.
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Kaffe-Mumriken 5 days ago +1
HITS BACK!!!
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ced_rdrr 6 days ago +50
Today we will learn that Vatican is two weeks away from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
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ZombiFeynman 6 days ago +72
Come on, Leo, just excommunicate all the Catholics in Trump's government!
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ApplicationMaximum84 6 days ago +19
Like in John Wick! 😂
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HumanBeing7396 6 days ago +8
I would love to see the pope go full John Wick.
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dshookowsky 5 days ago +3
He killed him......with a communion wafer!
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asdhjasdhlkjashdhgf 6 days ago +5
it is rather likely the Vatican's diplomatic corps (one of the most successful of its kind, and is what is behind Leo) could achieve something trump and co simply can't. It explains why the dog is shouting at Leo in attempt to keep that entity at bay. Just same as US admin does with Europe, Canada, Japan and so on.. requesting, denying, deflating, inflating, deflating, inflating verbal escalating with ambiguous demands effective stalling involvement because regardless of listnookor blurb they are competent enough to make moves without US. Believe it or not, for such moves no excommunication is needed at all, but a simple phone call.
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paulc899 6 days ago +5
None of them are Catholic though, they’re all evangelicals who don’t follow the pope.
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accforme 6 days ago +3
Isn't JD Vance and Karoline Leavitt Catholic?
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DLRevan 6 days ago +4
Sure, they're evangelicals whose denomination just happens to be called "Catholic" by them. In reality it shares no relation with actual Catholicism. Being a Catholic has a little more to do with calling yourself Catholic then acting like anything but. Evangelists often practice their faith on the basis of morality. They operate in almost militant fashion where they ascribe to strict rules, specific ideas of 'morality' and tradition (stuff like abortion, mass traditions, etc). American Catholics fit the bill, and many converts like Vance are even more extreme. Internationally, Catholicism is more associated with the idea of charity. Traditions and moral rule still exists, but they exist as a means to an end, which is to help fellow human beings, offer charity and so on. The problem with 'morality' and traditions when they are the goal and not the means, is they can be co-opted and turned to one's own agenda. That's been obvious enough with people like Vance. It's something evangelists do. They might call themselves Catholic, but they're evangelists.
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Forward_Evidence4023 6 days ago +3
JD vance?
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UndoxxableOhioan 6 days ago +4
JD Vance literally has a book coming out about him converting to Catholicism. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/jd-vance-book-communion-cover-catholicism-b2950362.html#
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accforme 6 days ago
Is there a catholic church near the residence of any Catholic Trump cabinet members? If so, the Pope should direct those churches to play hard rock, towards their homes, at high volume, 24/7.
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TheGreatDomilies 6 days ago +37
That’s my Pope. Take the higher road and focus on the real issues: the suffering of others and constantly seeking to solve problems through dialogue. Still his comments feature something notable: “I am not afraid of the Trump administration.”
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steve_ample 6 days ago +27
Call to deny communion to anyone in the administration.
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P0Rt1ng4Duty 6 days ago +3
I don't think the pope can do that to non-catholics.
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CrazyPea3105 6 days ago +9
Yea but it will get JD VANCE
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Fast-Satisfaction482 6 days ago +4
He can call for it. But non-catholics will not listen. 
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Dnabb8436 6 days ago +3
I dont think alot of non Catholics take the holy communion
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pjgf 6 days ago +1
Not the Catholic one, but that was GP’s point. Communion I would say is one of the defining characteristics of Christianity as an organized religion, along with baptism.
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Crazy-Nights 6 days ago +21
My mother is a Catholic who voted for Trump in all the primaries and elections because she believed he'd end all abortions in the country. I wonder how she feels about him now.
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CrazyPea3105 6 days ago +13
gotta love those 1 policy voters.
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coconut_dot_jpg 6 days ago +5
I'm sorry to say, it's probably not my place to say but I've met some who are eccentric enough about Trump, that if not the Pope, but God himself were to come to our plane of existence. Not just that, but DENOUNCE Trump's recent activities These people will straight up say God is in the wrong
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slayermcb 6 days ago +3
Cognitive dissidents. Her brain won't be able to accept two cobfkicting mental truths so it will find ways to reconcile this with mental gymnastics.
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P0Rt1ng4Duty 6 days ago
She probably wishes he'd been aborted.
0
Confident-Visual7651 6 days ago +8
Doubt the Pope is arguing with a baby.
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Fine-Mine-3281 6 days ago +8
Honestly, I think this is a good thing. The more “regular” Christians see how unhinged Trump and his pseudo-Christian cult are, the more people will leave his support base. If the world can hold off til November and mid-terms I think the globe could return to a better place once Trump is neutered
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wutfacer 6 days ago +6
Garbage article headline. There is no feud, just a Pope standing up for the teachings of his church and a one sided grudge by a petty manchild of a President
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jsnxander 6 days ago +1
Exactly. Not a fued, just a click-bait headline. It's beneath the Pontiff to tit-for-tat with someone as lowly as Trump.
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butwhywedothis 6 days ago +5
He took Peruvian citizenship. Even the pope doesn’t want to be American.
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wwarnout 6 days ago +2
No, Donnie Dumbfk, this is not a feud. This is the Pope expressing his disapproval of one country waging war against another country, and the associated violations of human decency.
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PNWbdublu541 6 days ago +2
I’m just looking forward for the “Chicago” in him to come out. “Listen here fuckstick,…”
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UJustGotRobbed 6 days ago +2
What did the Pope say cuz that website is bacon wrapped dog shit
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G3Saint 6 days ago +3
He said he likes renewable energy like wind turbines
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QuirkyWish3081 6 days ago +1
Heresy /s
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KushMaster72 6 days ago -18
The child molester isn’t a fan of the leader of the child molester church.
-18
Ultra_Metal 6 days ago -15
The church is once again siding with evil just like it did during WW2.
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