The Vatican has responded to President Donald Trump's attacks on Pope Leo XIV. In a post on X, priest Antonio Spadaro writes:
“Donald Trump takes aim at Pope Leo XIV and in doing so reveals a deeper concern. When political power turns against a moral voice, it is often because it cannot cope with it. Trump does not discuss Leo; he begs him to return to a language he can control. But the Pope speaks another language, one that cannot be transformed into the grammar of force, security or national interest,” says Spadaro.
“In this sense, the attack is a declaration of impotence. Unable to absorb that voice, power tries to delegitimize it. Yet in doing so, it implicitly acknowledges its weight. If Leone were insignificant, he would not deserve a word. On the contrary, he is mentioned, named, opposed, a sign that his words matter.
Here the moral force of the Church appears. Not as a counter-power, but as a space in which power is judged by a standard that does not control it. Leone does not respond to the terrain of controversy and for this very reason remains outside its reach. He is free. And this freedom, unarmed and disarming, is perhaps what is most disturbing. At the same time, what matters most,” he concludes.
Donald J. #Trump targets #PopeLeo XIV—and in doing so, reveals a deeper unease. When political power turns against a moral voice, it is often because it cannot contain it. Trump does not argue with Leo; he implores him to return to a language he can control. But the Pope speaks… pic.twitter.com/X7kesOFAiY
— Antonio Spadaro (@antoniospadaro) April 13, 2026