President Trump's remarks about Pope Leo spark backlash among church leaders
During the noon Mass on Monday at Saint John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church in Yonkers, prayers for peace, unity, and reconciliation filled the sanctuary.
Parishioners say those are also the prayers of Pope Leo, who arrived in Algeria Monday to begin an 11-day, four-nation trip to Africa.
"Our Holy Father has preached and will continue to preach the gospel message of peace," said parishioner Christine Gallagher.
But it appears that the message has not reached President Trump.
In a social media post this weekend, the president responded to the Pope's repeated pleas for peace by calling the leader of 1.4 billion Catholics a radical left politician who is soft on crime and terrible on foreign policy.
"He's a man who doesn't think that we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world," Trump said. "So, I'm not a fan of Pope Leo."
Church leaders pushed back on those remarks, saying the president misunderstands the role of the pope.
"With all respect to Mr. Trump, there's a misunderstanding of the role of the Holy Father," said Father Stephen Norton of Saint John the Baptist Church. "The pope is there to proclaim Christ's message of peace and of love."
ABC News correspondent Melissa Adan is traveling with the Pope and says the president's comments generated significant backlash.
"And also the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops saying they are disheartened by the president's words," Adan reported.
Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the Archbishop of Newark, echoed that criticism.
"He's the pastor of the world. He is not a pundit," Tobin said. "So, the distinction is he's not going to pronounce on everything, but he is going to pronounce what's important."
Outside the Oval Office this afternoon, President Trump made it clear anyone looking for an apology should look elsewhere.
"We believe strongly in law and order," Trump said. "And he seemed to have a problem with that. So there is nothing to apologize for. He's wrong."
Speaking aboard the papal plane, Pope Leo responded briefly, declining to engage further.
"I don't look at my role as being political, a politician," the pope said. "I don't want to get into a debate with him."
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
