- Safiu Kehinde
Catholic Pontiff, Pope Leo, has slammed world leaders allegedly manipulating religion to incite wars for their personal gain.
The renowned clergyman who is currently in Cameroon for his first tour across Africa expressed his displeasure with the world leaders in a post shared on his official X handle on Thursday.
“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.” The post read.
While no direct reference was made by Pope Leo, the statement is coming days after a high-profile spat with United States President Donald Trump, who posted a lengthy attack on the Pope, a vocal critic of the US-Israeli military operation in Iran.
According to the BBC, the Pope had voiced his concern about Trump’s threat that “a whole civilisation will die” if Iran did not agree to US demands to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz.
Leo, who last year became the first US-born Pope, has previously also questioned the Trump administration’s approach to immigration.
“Leo should get his act together as Pope,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post at the time.
The Pope told reporters at the start of his Africa tour that he did not want to get into a debate with Trump but would continue to promote peace.
In his address in Cameroon, the Pope criticised leaders who “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”.