Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated Tuesday (Apr. 14) that the US war against Iran led by Donald Trump is reckless and that the US president does not need to threaten the world. He also expressed solidarity with Pope Leo XIV, who exchanged critical remarks with Trump this week.

In Lula’s view, Trump uses rhetoric to try to please the public and convey the idea that the US is an “omnipotent country, of a superior people.” He stated that he admires the US as the world’s largest economy, but this is the result of the hard work of its people.

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• Brazilian bishops express support for Pope Leo XIV.
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“This isn’t because of the president’s authoritarianism. It’s because of the economic situation, the country’s importance, and the level of higher education they have. So Trump didn’t need to go around threatening the world,” President Lula said.

“Trump’s threats are not good for democracy. This war with Iran is reckless,” he added, highlighting the conflict’s consequences for the economy, particularly fuel prices.

On Sunday (12), while commenting on the pope’s criticism of US actions in Iran and Venezuela, Trump stated that Leo XIV is “terrible at foreign policy” and asked him to stop pandering to the radical left. The pope responded that he is not afraid of the US president and that he believes in the Gospel’s message of peace.

“I met with him [Pope Leo XIV] and was very impressed. [I wish] to stand in solidarity with him, because his criticism of President Trump is correct. No one needs to be afraid of anyone,” Lula said in an interview with journalists.

Alexandre Ramagem

Lula also mentioned the recent partnership between Brazil and the US aimed at combating international arms and drug trafficking, and commented on the arrest of former federal representative Alexandre Ramagem by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“I think Ramagem is going to come here. The right wing here in Brazil is saying he was arrested for a minor [traffic] fine, but that’s not true. He was arrested. He had already been sentenced to 16 years in this country [Brazil]. He was a coup plotter who’s been convicted. He has to return to Brazil to serve his sentence,” Lula declared.

The National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) published an official statement on Monday (Apr. 13) in support of Pope Leo XIV, after he received criticism from US President Donald Trump.

The document serves as an institutional response in support of the pontiff’s stance on the escalation of armed conflicts in the Middle East. On Saturday (11), during a special prayer vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope called on world leaders to refrain from any “show of force” and to “sit down at the table of dialogue and mediation.”

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• Lula holds first meeting with Pope Leo XIV at Vatican.

The CNBB noted in a statement that Pope Leo XIV’s authority is guided by “fidelity to the Gospel.” The Brazilian conference further maintains that Leo XIV continually works to defend human dignity and promote dialogue for conflict resolution. 

“The Pope’s spiritual and moral authority is not guided by the logic of political confrontation, but by fidelity to the Gospel, which continually raises its voice in defense of peace, human dignity, and dialogue among peoples,” the text reads.

The statement is signed by the leaders of the organization – CNBB President Cardinal Jaime Spengler; first and second vice presidents, Bishop João Justino de Medeiros and Bishop Paulo Jackson; and Secretary-General Bishop Ricardo Hoepers.

Trump

On Sunday (12), in a statement to the press, Trump described Pope Leo XIV as “weak on crime and terrible at foreign policy,” as well as “a very liberal person.” Leo XIV is the first US pope and assumed leadership of the Catholic Church in May 2025. 

The President of the US stated that he does not like the Pope’s stance on nuclear weapons.

“We don’t want a pope that says crime is OK in our cities. I don’t like it. I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo,” the president said.

The US president also posted a photo montage generated by artificial intelligence that depicts him as a divine figure healing a sick man. The post was made on Sunday (12) and deleted on Monday (13). 

On Monday morning, Pope Leo declared he was not afraid of the Trump administration or of proclaiming the Gospel message aloud. The statement came in response to questions from journalists who were with him aboard the papal plane during the first leg of his apostolic journey to the African continent.