More religious leaders are rallying behind Pope Leo XIV, showing support for the pontiff days after his public dispute with President Donald Trump over ongoing U.S. military operations in Iran.
On April 16, Sarah Mullally, the Archbishop of Canterbury and primate of the Church of England, issued a statement saying she stood in solidarity with Pope Leo XIV in his calls for peace around the world.
"I stand with my brother in Christ, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, in his courageous call for a kingdom of peace. As innocent people are killed and displaced, families torn apart, and futures destroyed, the human cost of war is incalculable," Mullally wrote. "It is the calling of every Christian — and of all people of faith and goodwill — to work and pray for peace."
In recent days, Leo has intensified his calls for peace and his criticism of the United States, which has drawn anger from Trump, who called the pope "weak on crime" and "terrible for foreign policy."
I doubt Pope Leo XIV will lose any sleep over this, before he begins his pilgrimage to Africa tomorrow. But the rest of us should. Because it is unhinged, uncharitable and unchristian. Is there no bottom to this moral squalor? pic.twitter.com/XRr9lpv4ZF
— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) April 13, 2026
During a visit to Cameroon on April 16, Leo said the world is "being ravaged by a handful of tyrants" and condemned world leaders who "manipulate" religion and the name of God for military gain.
"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," Leo said. "It is a world turned upside down, an exploitation of God's creation that must be denounced and rejected by every honest conscience."
In her statement, Mullally also delivered a broader appeal to political leaders, urging them to "every possible peaceful and just means of resolving conflict."
The Canterbury archbishop added that Christians should stand in solidarity with those affected by war and respond with compassion.
"Christ's self-giving life, lived for the sake of others, reminds us that the command to love God with all our heart is inseparable from the call to love our neighbor as ourselves, especially the neighbor who suffers, who is displaced, who lives in fear, and who longs for peace," her statement read.
Mullally urged other figures in the Church of England and across the Anglican Communion to join Pope Leo in calling for peace and justice.
"Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, blesses the peacemakers and calls them children of God. In a time marked by hatred, division, and violence, may we be steadfast in that calling — witnesses to hope, agents of reconciliation, and bearers of God's peace in a wounded world."
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