Pope Leo says remarks about world being 'ravaged by a ​handful of tyrants' were not aimed at Trump: report

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Michael Knowles analyzes Pope Leo's Africa trip and the media's portrayal of a Trump-Pope rift over the war in Iran. Pope Leo XIV said Saturday that remarks he made this week in which he said the "world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants" were not directed at President Donald Trump, a report said. The pope, speaking onboard a flight to Angola during his 10-day tour of Africa, said reporting about his comments "has not been ‌accurate in all its aspects" and his speech "was ⁠prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting," according to Reuters. The news outlet cited the pope as saying his comments were not aimed at Trump. "As it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate the president, which is not in ​my interest at all," the pope reportedly said. '60 MINUTES