Following his dispute with Trump, the Pope lashes out at the “tyrants who ravage the world” and spend billions on wars

It is said that religion and politics rarely collide head-on, but Pope Leo XIV has just broken that rule in a big way. From Cameroon, he not only denounced leaders who spend billions on wars, but also called them tyrants who ravage the world. And he didn't use soft metaphors: he spoke of those who manipulate the very name of God to justify violence, right after a public clash with Donald Trump over the war in Iran. Here's the twist: We typically think of the Pope as a diplomatic figure who avoids direct confrontation with those in power. But Leo XIV deviated from the script. His message was clear: the real scandal is not just the violence, but the fact that resources that could be used to heal and educate are being spent on mass destruction. And he said this in Bamenda, a city scarred by nearly a decade of insurgency, where more than 6,000 people have died and thousands have been displaced. Not only did he condemn the war, but he also accused the powerful of perpetuating a cycle of death for their own gain. The main character here is Leo XIV, the first American pope, a biography that already breaks the mold. Imagine the scene: As Trump lashes out on social media, calling him “weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy,” Leo XIV responds—not with insults, but with a resounding statement: “Peace is not something we have to invent; it is something we must embrace, accepting our neighbor as brother and sister.” And when the U.S. Secretary of Defense recites a prayer calling for “overwhelming violence” and “justice executed swiftly and without remorse,” the Pope responds from the Vatican: “Jesus rejects war; no one can use him to justify war.” Tensions escalate further when Trump posts an image of himself posing as Jesus, and when asked about the attacks, Leo XIV replies that he is not afraid and will continue to speak out. Here's a figure that will change your perspective: over 288 million Catholics live in Africa, one-fifth of the world's total. That is why the Pope chose this continent for his message: to speak of peace in the midst of violence, and to do so in a place where the pain is real, not from the comfort of Rome. But there is one angle that almost no one discusses: when the Pope accuses leaders of using God's name to legitimize war, he is sending a message that is directed not only at Trump but also at the faithful themselves. How many times do we accept religion being used as an excuse for violence, as long as it is in defense of “our interests”? The real challenge is not just for tyrants, but for all those who look the other way. Close your eyes and remember this: Peace is not made up; it is lived, even when the cost is high. If this twist has made you see power and religion in a different light, you can mark it in Lara Notes with I'm In: It's not a 'like'; it's the moment when you decide that this idea is already part of you. And if you end up talking about war, the Pope, or the use of religion in politics, you can mark it as Shared Offline in Lara Notes—that way, you remember who was there with you when the conversation mattered. All of this comes from BBC News Mundo, and you saved yourself almost 10 minutes of reading.