Archbishops Moth and Wilson urge prayers for Pope as Trump faces backlash

Archbishop of Westminster Richard Moth offered “support and prayers” to Pope Leo XIV as he arrived in Algeria on the first stage of his ten-day visit to Africa when he will also visit Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea.

“We pray for Pope Leo XIV as he starts his apostolic journey in Africa,” said Archbishop Moth. “We continue to support his unstinting calls for peace and reconciliation across all areas of conflict.”

The Archbishop called for indifference to be fought against in the face of war and suffering:

“In my Easter message I said, ‘Humanity is marked, scarred, by warfare and injustice – often instigated by greed and misguided power – bringing harm and death to so many and often the most vulnerable’. We must never become indifferent to war, violence and suffering.

“We pray for peace, justice and reconciliation across the world and we pray for the Holy Father.”

He issued his message after Pope Leo, on the flight to Algiers, responded to the comments by US President Donald Trump on Truth Social network. Increasingly, it appeared that many even in Trump’s own Maga base were critical of his attacks on Pope Leo. After a backlash, Trump also removed an AI image of himself he had posted, which appeared to make him look like Jesus-type healing figure.

Pope Leo said he had no fear of Trump or his administration: “I do not think the message of the Gospel should be abused as some are doing. I continue to speak strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, dialogue, and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems. Too many people are suffering today, too many innocent lives have been lost, and I believe someone must stand up and say there is a better way’.”

Archbishop of Southwark John Wilson also urged prayers for the Pope, saying, “Our Holy Father has been courageously advocating for peace, stating clearly that the message of the Gospel cannot be ‘abused’ and that he ‘will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace’.”

He said, “Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV is showing the world that in the face of war, God demands peace. As Pope Leo has made clear, we cannot stand by and allow the message of the Gospel to be abused. As bishops, we are not politicians, nor statesmen, nor do we pretend to have all the answers. But as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, we know that each of us is called to be a beacon of His peace. We know that in the face of war, where so many innocent lives will be lost, we must be clear that God demands peace.”

And he issued a special prayer for Pope Leo:

V. Let us pray for Leo XIV, our Pope.

R. May the Lord preserve him, and give him life,

and make him blessed upon the earth,

and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Catholic bishops  also renewed their appeal to political leaders to pursue peace “with courage, determination, and sincerity” and to “reject the path of escalation”.

They welcomed Pope Leo’s for “clear and consistent voice” in calling for peace. “His leadership continues to be a guiding light for the Church and the world at this critical time.”

They added, “Let us silence the weapons, so that the voice of humanity may be heard. Let us choose encounter over confrontation, and the courage of peace over the illusion of power.”

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