By Ayomide Otitoju
Pope Leo XIV has said he regrets that his recent remarks were interpreted as a response to criticism from US President Donald Trump, stressing that he has no intention of engaging in any public dispute with the American leader.
Speaking to journalists while travelling to Angola on Saturday, the pontiff said comments he made during a speech in Cameroon on the second leg of his Africa tour—where he referenced “tyrants” destabilising the world—had been prepared well in advance and were not directed at Trump.
The Pope noted that the remarks were made before Trump’s comment describing himself as “not a big fan” of the American-born pontiff, adding that the situation had been misinterpreted.
“It was perceived as if I were trying to start a new debate with the president, which doesn’t interest me at all,” he said.
His clarification comes days after he warned against the misuse of artificial intelligence, cautioning that it could deepen “polarisation, conflict, fear and violence,” while also criticising the environmental impact of rare earth mineral extraction used in digital technologies.
Addressing the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Pope Leo said AI poses a deeper societal challenge than commonly understood, warning that it risks replacing reality with simulation.
He said such developments could distort humanity’s relationship with truth, stating that what is at stake is not only the risk of error but a broader transformation in how truth is perceived.
The remarks form part of an increasingly outspoken tone adopted by the pontiff during his 11-day Africa tour, where he has moved beyond earlier restraint to issue stronger appeals for global peace and stability.
