Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai(left) speaking with Apostolic Nuncio Paolo Borgia on April 8, 2026, in the village of Kawkaba, in the Marjeyoun district of South Lebanon. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/L'Orient-Le Jour)
BEIRUT — Maronite Patriarch, Bechara Rai, condemned "any attack or offense that undermines the stature and sanctity of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV," after U.S. President, Donald Trump, on Sunday called Pope Leo "terrible" in rare direct critics of the pontiff.
After the Pope spoke out against the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and the Trump administration's immigration policies, the U.S. president criticized the Pope on Sunday, saying that he is "weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy." After these comments, Pope Leo, the first pontiff from the U.S., responded on Monday by saying he would keep raising his voice against conflict.
Rai's statement, titled “His Holiness Pope Leo, a Messenger of Love and Peace,” was read by the Patriarchate’s Secretary General, Fadi Tabet, and relayed by the state-run National News Agency on Tuesday.
“The Maronite Patriarchate strongly condemns any attack or offense that undermines the stature and sanctity of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, who consistently calls for the upholding of truth, the establishment of justice, and the building of peace among peoples," the statement reads.
"What has been expressed in terms of unacceptable insults contradicts the most basic standards of respect owed to the highest authority in the Church and its spokesperson," Rai said in the statement, adding that this "constitutes an offense to every Christian in general, and Catholics in particular."
Rai also recalled that Pope Leo has "long been a sincere supporter of Lebanon, carrying its cause in his heart and raising his voice in international forums to call for its protection, the preservation of its mission, and the safeguarding of its unique pluralism."
As part of his first visit abroad after being elected in May last year, the Pope had made a historic visit to Lebanon between Nov. 30 and Dec. 2, 2025.
"In these delicate circumstances, we renew our commitment to a culture of dialogue and mutual respect," Rai finally said, calling also for an "end to the arms race and for the adoption of a language of wisdom and reason."
The war in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel, which started two days after the U.S.-Israeli operation against Iran, is still ongoing despite the cease-fire reached on April 8 between Washington and Tehran. Despite the cease-fire, the U.S. started a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, following the failure of the negotiations which took place in Pakistan over the week-end.
