Archbishop of Canterbury backs pope’s calls for peace amid Trump feud | Sarah Mullally
The archbishop of Canterbury says he stands in solidarity with Pope Leo XIV’s calls for peace amid his public feud with Donald Trump.
Days after the US president objected to comments by the head of the Catholic church suggesting the “illusion of omnipotence” fueling the US-Israeli war in Iran, Sarah Mullally called on Anglicans to join Leo’s “bold” call.
His statement came as the pope warned on Thursday that the world was getting worse. “Ruined by a bunch of bullies”.
Mullally said: “I stand with my brother in Christ, the holy Pope Leo XIV, in his bold appeal for the kingdom of peace. The human cost of war is incalculable, as innocent people are killed and displaced, families torn apart and futures destroyed.”
He called on Christians to “work and pray for peace.” He did not directly address Trump in the statement but said: “We must also urge all those in political authority to pursue every peaceful and just means possible to resolve the conflict.”
Mullally, who will travel to Rome later this month to meet and pray with Leo, added: “I therefore call on Anglicans in the Church of England and the Anglican communion to join his holiness in raising our voices for peace and justice around the world.”
Leo’s comments about the “delusion” were made during evening prayers at the Vatican on Saturday, when the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan. The Pope did not mention the name of the USA or Trump, but his tone of voice and message appeared to be directed towards Trump and American officials.
Trump responded with a lengthy social media post on Sunday, calling Chicago-born Leo “POOR on Crime and terrible on Foreign Policy” and suggesting he only got into this position “because he’s American and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J Trump.”
Trump told reporters: “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo” and posted an AI-generated image of himself as a Christ-like figure appearing to heal a man, which he later deleted.
The Pope told reporters on his way to Algeria on Monday that he is not a politician and does not want to get into an argument with Trump. He said: “I’m not afraid of the Trump administration or speaking out loud about the message of the gospel; I believe that’s what I’m here for, and that’s what the church is here to do.”
During a four-country tour in Africa on Thursday, Leo remained outspoken in his criticism of the war and his desire for peace. Speaking at a cathedral in Bamenda, in the west of Cameroon, he said: “Blessed are the peacemakers. But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”
He added: “The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, but is held together by the multitude of brothers and sisters who support it.”
Criticism of Trump’s insults against the pope has come from many quarters, including Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s far-right prime minister, who is ideologically aligned with Trump but said she found his “remarks against the Holy Father unacceptable.”
US vice president J.D. Vance, a Catholic convert, called on the Vatican to “stick to matters of morality… and allow the US president to continue dictating American public policy.”
