Pope says ‘world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants’ amid feud with Trump’s White House

Key Points:

• Pope Leo XIV criticized global leaders, implicitly targeting Donald Trump, for using religion to justify war, condemning the spending on conflict while neglecting resources for healing and education during a speech in Cameroon.
• The US Conference of Catholic Bishops defended the pope's stance on just war theory after Trump’s vice-president, JD Vance, challenged Leo’s comments, emphasizing that the pope’s message aligns with the Church’s long-standing teachings on war and peace.
• Pope Leo XIV reiterated his commitment to peace and dialogue, distancing himself from political debates with Trump and focusing on promoting multilateral solutions to global conflicts.
• In a related development, the Trump administration ended an $11 million contract with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, which provided services for unaccompanied immigrant children, a move criticized by Archbishop Thomas Wenski as undermining a highly effective program.
• The federal health department justified the contract termination by citing efforts to reduce illegal immigration and consolidate unused facilities, while the archdiocese expressed concern over the loss of specialized care for vulnerable migrant children.