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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 Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +9
Press pressing. Shameful that AP stoops to this.
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dshookowsky Apr 14, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +1
HITS BACK!!!
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ced_rdrr Apr 13, 2026 +50
Today we will learn that Vatican is two weeks away from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
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ZombiFeynman Apr 13, 2026 +72
Come on, Leo, just excommunicate all the Catholics in Trump's government!
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ApplicationMaximum84 Apr 13, 2026 +19
Like in John Wick! 😂
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HumanBeing7396 Apr 13, 2026 +8
I would love to see the pope go full John Wick.
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dshookowsky Apr 14, 2026 +3
He killed him......with a communion wafer!
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asdhjasdhlkjashdhgf Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +5
None of them are Catholic though, they’re all evangelicals who don’t follow the pope.
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accforme Apr 13, 2026 +3
Isn't JD Vance and Karoline Leavitt Catholic?
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DLRevan Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +3
JD vance?
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UndoxxableOhioan Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026
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 Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +27
Call to deny communion to anyone in the administration.
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P0Rt1ng4Duty Apr 13, 2026 +3
I don't think the pope can do that to non-catholics.
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CrazyPea3105 Apr 13, 2026 +9
Yea but it will get JD VANCE
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Fast-Satisfaction482 Apr 13, 2026 +4
He can call for it. But non-catholics will not listen. 
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Dnabb8436 Apr 13, 2026 +3
I dont think alot of non Catholics take the holy communion
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pjgf Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +13
gotta love those 1 policy voters.
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coconut_dot_jpg Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026
She probably wishes he'd been aborted.
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Confident-Visual7651 Apr 13, 2026 +8
Doubt the Pope is arguing with a baby.
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Fine-Mine-3281 Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +5
He took Peruvian citizenship. Even the pope doesn’t want to be American.
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wwarnout Apr 13, 2026 +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 Apr 13, 2026 +2
I’m just looking forward for the “Chicago” in him to come out. “Listen here fuckstick,…”
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UJustGotRobbed Apr 13, 2026 +2
What did the Pope say cuz that website is bacon wrapped dog shit
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G3Saint Apr 13, 2026 +3
He said he likes renewable energy like wind turbines
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QuirkyWish3081 Apr 13, 2026 +1
Heresy /s
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KushMaster72 Apr 13, 2026 -18
The child molester isn’t a fan of the leader of the child molester church.
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Ultra_Metal Apr 13, 2026 -15
The church is once again siding with evil just like it did during WW2.
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