Pope Leo Calls Trump’s Iran Threat ‘Truly Unacceptable,’ Urges Americans To Call Members of Congress

In a rare, straightforward rebuke of the president, Pope Leo XIV — the first American pontiff — says citizens of the United States should contact their members of Congress and urge them to speak out in favor of peace between their country and Iran. Speaking to reporters at his countryside home on Tuesday, the pope said President Trump’s threat that Iran’s civilization “will die” is “unacceptable.” His Holiness has been asked to comment many times on American politics, given he was born in Chicago. Like his predecessor, he has often spoken out forcefully in defense of migrants and in favor of peace around the world. Now, he is directly addressing Mr. Trump’s own comments in a stunning rebuke. The pope spoke to reporters on Tuesday as he was leaving Castel Gandolfo, his countryside estate outside Rome. According to a translation of his comments by the Associated Press, His Holiness called Mr. Trump’s threats against Iran on Tuesday “truly unacceptable.”“Today as we all know there was this threat against all the people of Iran. This is truly unacceptable,” the pope told reporters. After he made those remarks, he spoke to reporters in English, urging Americans to call their members of Congress to tell them to urge Mr. Trump to seek peace. “I would simply say, once again, what I said in the [Easter] message on Sunday, asking all people of goodwill to search always for peace,” His Holiness told reporters on Tuesday, speaking in English. “We have a worldwide economic crisis, energy crisis, and a situation in the Middle East of great instability.”“So, come back to the table. Let’s talk. Let’s look for solutions in a peaceful way,” he added, telling everyone to think of the children, the elderly, and the sick at this trying time. “I would invite the citizens of all the countries involved to contact the authorities, political leaders, congressmen to ask them — tell them — to work for peace and to reject war always,” His Holiness said. The pope’s rebuke of Mr. Trump came just hours after the president said Iran’s “civilization” will “die” on Tuesday night. He said he did not want that to occur, but that it “probably” would anyway. “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. He qualified his statement, however, writing that “different, smarter, and less radicalized minds” could prevail so that “maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen.“We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World,” the president declared. Several lawmakers on Capitol Hill began calling for Vice President JD Vance — who is Catholic — and members of Mr. Trump’s cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to temporarily remove the president from power. Mr. Trump says the attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure and civilian infrastructure will begin at eight o’clock on Tuesday night if Iran refuses to make a deal with him.

Pope Leo Calls Trump’s Iran Threat ‘Truly Unacceptable,’ Urges Americans To Call Members of Congress

More from the New York Sun

Bannon’s High Court Win, After Merrick Garland Sent Him to Prison, Is Milestone in Trump’s Push To Reverse January 6 Convictions

Iran-Backed Iraqi Militia Reportedly Says It Will Free Abducted American Journalist Shelly Kittleson — With a Condition

Federal Appeals Court Allows Iowa To Enforce a Law Banning ‘Sexual Materials’ From School Libraries

More from the New York Sun

Bannon’s High Court Win, After Merrick Garland Sent Him to Prison, Is Milestone in Trump’s Push To Reverse January 6 Convictions

Iran-Backed Iraqi Militia Reportedly Says It Will Free Abducted American Journalist Shelly Kittleson — With a Condition

Federal Appeals Court Allows Iowa To Enforce a Law Banning ‘Sexual Materials’ From School Libraries

Russia and China Veto a Proposed UN Resolution on Freedom of Navigation at the Hormuz Strait

Kanye West’s Comeback Suffers a Blow as Britain Bars Him From Headlining London Festival

Vance Headlines Budapest Campaign Rally For Prime Minister Orban

‘Unacceptable’ Penn Station Closure for World Cup Draws Immediate Backlash

As Diplomacy Appears To Have Reached a Dead End, America Strikes at Iran’s Oil Exporting Hub