United States | News & Politics

April 16, 2026

Pope Leo XIV says the world is “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants,” in the latest escalation of his feud with Donald Trump.

The pontiff, on a trip to Cameroon, urged a “decisive change of course” and denounced leaders who use #religion as a basis to justify war.

“The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild,” Leo said.

“They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education, and restoration are nowhere to be found,” he went on, further condemning what he described as “an endless cycle of destabilization and death.”