Masoud Pezeshkian has stood in support of Pope Leo XIV following Donald Trump‘s recent criticism of the pontiff. On Monday, the Iranian president also condemned Trump’s controversial AI-generated social media post, calling it an “insult” to religious values.
Masoud Pezeshkian defends Pope after Donald Trump rant
In an X (formerly Twitter) post on April 13, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian defended Pope Leo XIV, calling out Donald Trump’s recent controversial posts. “His Holiness Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex), I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran, and declare that the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person,” Pezeshkian wrote. He concluded, “I wish you glory by Allah.”
Pezeshkian’s pointed statement comes shortly after Trump drew widespread criticism for a now-deleted Truth Social post. It featured an AI-generated image showing Trump as Jesus Christ blessing an ailing man in bed. Surrounding him are a nurse, a praying woman, and a soldier. The background features the Statue of Liberty, bald eagles, and other patriotic symbols.
Trump also penned a lengthy Truth Social post on Sunday, where he called Pope Leo “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.” He wrote, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country.” The POTUS went on to add, “I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do.”
According to Vatican News, Pope Leo responded to the attack while speaking to reporters on Monday. “I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do,” the pontiff said. The pope further added, “We are not politicians. We don’t deal with foreign policy with the same perspective he might understand it, but I do believe in the message of the Gospel, as a peacemaker.”
Originally reported by Namrata Ghosh on Mandatory.
