Pope Leo XIV said Wednesday that his visit to Africa offers a message of unity and peace “the world needs to hear” as he continues to face criticism from the US president and vice president for his stance on the war in Iran.

Speaking on board the papal plane from Algeria to Cameroon, Leo pointed to his visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers, the largest in Africa, and to the birthplace of Saint Augustine of Hippo, a hugely influential Christian figure who inspired him to become a priest.

The mosque visit showed that while “we have different beliefs, we have different ways of worshipping, we have different ways of living, we can live together in peace,” the pontiff said.

He added: “I think that to promote that kind of image is something which the world needs to hear today.”:32

Leo began his Africa trip in Algeria, a Muslim-majority country, after criticizing the US military operation in Iran. The pope’s increasing criticism has underlined his stance as a counterweight to the Trump administration.

Leo’s willingness to call out the US president on the world stage marks a significant escalation in tensions between Washington and the Vatican. Trump and his vice president, JD Vance, have issued a series of sharp statements this week aimed at the head of the Catholic Church, who declared he has “no fear of the Trump administration” and shows no sign of backing down.

The pope departed for Africa just hours after Trump launched an extraordinary broadside against him and his stance on the war. The president subsequently posted an image of himself seemingly as a Jesus-like figure. The image was later deleted.

Vance, a Catholic, weighed in at a Turning Point USA event on Tuesday, saying the pope should be “careful” when talking about theology. Vance also questioned the pontiff’s understanding of “just war” theory, which sets the criteria for a morally justifiable conflict and was developed over centuries by Catholic thinkers.

A key architect of “just war” teaching is Saint Augustine of Hippo, whom Leo honored while in Algeria. Augustine, a bishop in the late fourth and early fifth centuries, is the spiritual father of the Augustinian order of which the pontiff is a member and former leader.

Leo stressed that Augustine is still “an important figure” through his writings, teachings and spirituality.

“His invitation to search for God and for truth is something that is very much needed today,” Leo, speaking in English, said on board the plane from Algiers to Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. He pointed out that Augustine’s memory is honored in Algeria, even though the majority of Algerians are Muslims.

Saint Augustine, the pope said, offers “the church and the world” a vision that includes the “struggle to build community, to seek for unity among all peoples, and respect for all peoples, in spite of the differences.”

Trump showed no sign of wanting to back away from his feud Tuesday night, saying it was “unacceptable” for Tehran to have a nuclear bomb.

“Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. It was not immediately clear where Trump got his figure.

Leo, who is the first pontiff to visit Algeria, expressed his gratitude to the Algerian authorities for making the trip possible. He also paid tribute to the small but significant presence of the Catholic Church in Algeria.

While in Cameroon, he addressed the conflict in the country between the Francophone government and English-speaking separatists, and he will take part in a peace meeting.

Speaking at the Presidential Palance in Yaoundé in front of the country’s President, Paul Biya, Leo urged authorities to avoid corrupt practices.

“In order for peace and justice to prevail, the chains of corruption — which disfigure authority and strip it of its credibility — must be broken,” he said.

And an “authentic peace” can take hold only when “the law serves as a secure safeguard against the whims of the rich and powerful,” he added.

English-speaking separatists in Cameroon announced a three-day pause in fighting to enable the pope to have “safe travel” and deliver his message of peace, according to the Associated Press.

The pope’s Africa trip also includes visits to Angola and Equatorial Guinea and concludes on April 23. (CNN)

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