Pope Leo slams war spending and the misuse of religion in unusually forceful remarks delivered in Cameroon, days after US President Donald Trump attacked him on social media. Speaking in Bamenda on Thursday, the pontiff said the world was being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants” and urged a decisive change of course toward peace.
The pope said leaders continue to spend billions on destruction while failing to invest enough in healing, education, and recovery. He warned that war can destroy lives in moments, while rebuilding societies can take years. During a meeting in Cameroon’s English-speaking region, Leo condemned what he described as a global pattern of violence, greed, and moral failure. He sharply criticised leaders who, in his words, use religious language to justify military, political, or economic goals.
He said such actions distort faith and turn what is sacred into a tool of power. His remarks came as he continued to speak out against the wider costs of war and instability. Leo’s comments also followed fresh criticism from Trump, who called the pope “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” in social media posts.
The pontiff has avoided responding directly to Trump, but he has made clear he will continue speaking publicly about war and human suffering. The pope’s visit to Bamenda also highlighted the long-running conflict in Cameroon’s anglophone regions. That violence, rooted in colonial and post-colonial tensions, has killed more than 6,500 people and displaced over half a million.
A separatist alliance announced a three-day ceasefire during the pope’s visit, offering limited hope for safer travel and renewed calls for dialogue. Leo welcomed the move, said the crisis had not turned into a religious war, and expressed hope that Christian and Muslim leaders could help mediate peace.
He also condemned corruption and inequality, urging Cameroon’s government to resist pressure from wealthy and powerful interests. In addition, he denounced the exploitation of Africa’s wealth by foreign actors, saying those practices worsen poverty and underdevelopment.
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Leo’s speech won support from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, who said she stood with the pope in his call for peace. The pope also listened to victims of violence, including a nun who survived kidnapping and an imam who recounted an attack on a mosque.
Those moments reinforced the humanitarian focus of the visit. Rather than addressing political attacks in personal terms, Leo kept attention on conflict, displacement, and the need for reconciliation. His remarks in Cameroon now stand as one of his strongest public interventions yet on war, religion, and global leadership.
