Pope Leo responds after Trump savages him and poses as Jesus Christ: ‘No fear’

Pope Leo, the first pontiff from the U.S., has hit back at Donald Trump after the president attacked him on social media. Trump has lashed out at Pope Leo as “terrible” in an unusual, direct attack on the pontiff, who responded by vowing to continue denouncing war and suffering.“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," he told reporters Monday. “I don't want to get into a debate with [Trump.”“I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems,” Leo continued aboard a papal flight to Algiers, where he is embarking on a 10-day tour to four African countries.“Too many people are suffering in the world today,” he said. “Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there's a better way.”(Getty)Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was also disheartened by Trump's comments."Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls,” he said in a statement.Trump is facing widespread backlash for his comments, and for sharing an AI picture of himself as Jesus, appearing to heal the sick. “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social late on Sunday.It comes after a report earlier this month said the American Pope may not return to the U.S. while President Donald Trump remains in office.Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image of himself as Jesus after bashing Pope Leo (@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social)The Free Press reported that in the wake of the Pope's annual address to the Vatican’s diplomatic corps in January, in which he criticized states seeking conflict around the globe, the Department of Defense invited Cardinal Christophe Pierre for a meeting. At the time, Pierre was serving as Pope Leo’s personal envoy to the United States.The Pentagon requesting a meeting with a Vatican official is "unprecedented," according to the report.According to Vatican and U.S. officials who were briefed on the meeting and spoke to the publication, the Pentagon criticized the Pope's statements in January, interpreting them as hostile attacks on Trump's policies.More follows on this breaking story....