Pope says he has 'no fear' of Trump after scathing criticism
Watch: 'I'm not a fan of Pope Leo' says Trump
Pope Leo has said he has "no fear" of the Trump administration and will continue to speak out against war after the US president launched an unusual and scathing attack over his stance on the Iran conflict.
Donald Trump accused the pontiff of being "WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy" in a Truth Social post, later telling reporters he was "not a big fan".
The Pope told reporters en route to Algeria that he did not want to get into a debate with Trump but would continue to promote peace.
He has been a staunch critic of the Iran war, calling Trump's threat to destroy Iranian civilisation "unacceptable" and calling for him to find an "off-ramp" to end the conflict.
Pope Leo is currently visiting Algeria as part of an 11-day trip to Africa
In general, it is rare for a pope to directly address statements by world leaders.
There are more than 70 million Catholics in the US, about 20% of the population. They include Trump's Vice-President JD Vance.
Trump's remarks came as the pontiff embarked on an 11-day trip to Africa, his second major foreign trip since being elected last year.
The US president wrote in Sunday's post that the Pope "should get his act together" and said he was "weak on nuclear weapons", apparently referring to Tehran's attempts to become a nuclear power, cited as one of the reasons for the US and Israel going to war with Iran.
He also suggested that the pontiff was elected "because he was American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J Trump".
"If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican."
Asked by reporters to explain the post, he later said: "I don't think he's doing a very good job, he likes crime, I guess."
Trump added: "He's a very liberal person, and he's a man who doesn't believe in stopping crime, he's a man who doesn't believe we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world."
In response, the Pope told reporters on board his plane to Algiers that he did not see his role as that of a politician but as one of spreading the message of peace.
"I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do," he told reporters.
"I don't want to get into a debate with [Trump]," he added.
"Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say: there's a better way to do this."
Trump's remarks also drew criticism from Catholics around the world, with one expert comparing the comments to the Pope's relationship with fascist dictators in World War Two.
"Not even Hitler or Mussolini attacked the Pope so directly and publicly," said Massimo Faggioli, quoted by Reuters.
The Pope has used numerous public addresses to denounce global conflicts and urge de-escalation in the Middle East.
When Trump threatened Iran, saying that "a whole civilisation will die tonight", he responded by saying the statement was "truly unacceptable".
The Pope has also criticised Trump's hard-line immigration policy, questioning whether it was possible for someone to be "pro-life" - a term normally associated with opponents of abortion - if they agreed with what he described as the "inhuman treatment of immigrants".
Pope Leo is seen as continuing the humanitarian tradition of his predecessor Pope Francis, who said Trump was "not Christian" during the 2016 election campaign because of his anti-immigrant language. Trump described the late Pope as "disgraceful".
As Detterling has so often said in the past, when Gene “Groper” Vincent has made a complete fool of himself, he immediately posts some irrelevant waffle to push his humiliation of the front page of his blog.
ReplyDelete“I hereby order you to cease and desist…”.
Vintage Gene “Groper” Vincent iin characteristic bombastic jerk mode, squealing like a stuck pig when his own nasty tactics are played back to him.
When Gene “Groper” Vincent is told that one of his dirty-minded insults has caused hurt to someone, does he do what his loudly boasted of Christian faith would tell him to do?
No, he does not, because Gene “Groper” Vincent’s Christianity is a shallow posture, a bogus mimesis of pious behaviour.
Instead, Gene “Groper” Vincent tales careful aim at the bruise he has inflicted and goes on punching it, exulting in his grubby nastiness.
In fact Gene “Groper” Vincent is the archetypal cowardly bully, unable to take what he dishes out with such gloating relish.
Well, get used to it, Gene “Groper” Vincent. This bruise is going to be punched, hard and often, until you beg for mercy.
Got that, Gene “Groper” Vincent?
Produce any evidence that I engaged in groping you bastard. You can't can you?
ReplyDeleteGENE
The whole point of a baseless accusation, Gene "Groper" Vincent, is that no evidence is needed for the accusation. After all, you had absolutely no evidence at all when you claimed that Detterling had caused the suicide of the wife of a correspondent to TES Opinion, did you, Gene "Groper" Vincent?
DeleteNor did you have any evidence when you accused Detterling of supporting the Nazi German policy of systematically murdering the mentally ill, the physically handicapped, the epileptic and the chronically ill, did you, Gene "Groper" Vincent?
Nor did you have any evidence when you claimed that Detterling hated and feared homosexuals, did you, Gene "Groper" Vincent?
Nor did you have any evidence when you accused Detterling of unprofessional conduct when working as a counsellor by offering advice to pregnant women to procure abortions, did you, Gene Vincent?
So anyone, Gene "Groper" Vincent, can call you Gene "Groper" Vincent without needing to produce any evidence of your groping, even though you have several times boasted on this very blog of having groped young female teachers during the closing years of your career as a teacher.
Not only did you boast of fondling their bottoms without their permission, and of hugging them in a pretended show of avuncular affection, you owned that you did both those things for sexual motives. More than that, Gene "Groper" Vincent, you also boasted that no-one could accuse of you groping because you took good care only to grope these unfortunate young women in deserted classrooms or empty corridors.
Such evidence, Gene "Groper" Vincent, would not last thirty seconds in a court of law, of course, but who cares? All that matters is that your being called Gene "Groper" Vincent is something that you find infuriating, demeaning and hurtful. And, on the principle, Gene "Groper" Vincent that people - like you - who dish out this kind of nasty abuse can't complain, Gene "Groper" Vincent, when people dish it out to you, so you'd better get used to it.
So, on the grounds that in calling you Gene "Groper" Vincent you are being force-fed a maximum dose of your own medicine, on the additional grounds that it is obviously enraging you, and on the final grounds that you can do nothing about it, you should, once again, get used to being called Gene "Groper" Vincent, and the sooner the better.
Oh, and in case you were thinking of blocking comments to this blog in order to prevent your being called Gene "Groper" Vincent, then you would be well advised not to do that. If you do, you may find that a new blog will appear entitled 'Gene "Groper" Vincent' - the true story'.
And should that happen, you will be the one who doesn't know what has hit them. Got that, Gene "Groper" Vincent?
Ha! Ha! Ha!. Not a shred of evidence. Banged to rights once again!
ReplyDeleteYou take the biscuit, you really do.
At first, Gene “Groper” Vincent, it seems as though you are missing the point on purpose. But then, Gene “Groper” Vincent it becomes obvious that you actually are that stupid.
DeleteYou are being called Gene “Groper” Vincent for two reasons. One, because you have admitted, in fact boasted of being a serial groper of defenceless young women in your various schools. Furtive sexual maulings in empty classrooms and deserted corridors - it makes decent people’s skin crawl.
But the more important reason, Gene “Groper” Vincent, for calling you Gene “Groper” Vincent is that it rattles you and infuriates you and you can’t do a thing about it. Vapouring on about shreds of evidence and bang to rights is simply trying to kid yourself that being called Gene “Groper” Vincent doesn’t matter to you or make you look like the nasty piece of work that you actually are.
It does, and it is going to go on, no matter how much you bluster and whinge and bully. Not only a self-confessed groper perving on young women, but also a bullying coward who can dish it out but squeals like a stuck pig when he’s made to take it - you really are a revolting human being, aren’t you?
Your bloated self esteem has been bruised by your being called Gene “Groper” Vincent, not least because it draws attention to a particularly repellent aspect of your flawed personality. And so that bruise is going to be punched, regularly and often. Revenge is indeed a dish best served cold, Gene “Groper” Vincent, and it’s dinner time.
What I think you should do Gene is set Swashbuckling Mulligan on him. The very sound of his name will have Detters quaking in his boots.
ReplyDeleteMary Winterbourne
Gene “Groper” Vincent, if pretending to be Swashbuckling Mulligan and writing some laboured, cliche-ridden and hackneyed piffle about the Detterling family makes you feel better, then go ahead. It might make you feel less bitter about being called Gene “Groper” Vincent. But more diseased fantasising about buggering Detterling’s wife, or attempts to demonise his son for being gay - if he were, it would make no difference to his parents anyway - won’t stop your being called Gene “Groper” Vincent for as long as it takes.
DeleteAnd if, Gene “Groper” Vincent, you do write another terrible Swashbuckling Mulligan word-salad, do bear in mind that it will have all the impact on Detterling of a caterpillar farting. As the total ignominious failure of Gene “Groper” Vincent’s “Granny Barkes shat her pants in the British Home Stores” shows, you couldn’t write a shopping list.
Perhaps, Gene “Groper” Vincent, you should turn to autobiography? How about “Empty Classrooms, Deserted Corridors, Bra Straps and Knicker Elastic - Groping My Way”, by Gene “Groper” Vincent?
It could well outsell “Granny Barkes pissed herself in C & A” - maybe even 100 copies?
Worth thinking about, Gene “Groper” Vincent?