Archbishop George Leo Thomas of Las Vegas is defending Pope Leo XIV after President Donald Trump criticized the first American-born leader of the Catholic Church on social media Sunday, saying he isn’t “doing a very good job.”

The president called the pontiff “a very liberal person” and urged him to “stop catering to the Radical Left.”

Trump’s comments came after Leo suggested that a “delusion of omnipotence” is fueling the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.

While it’s not unusual for popes and presidents to be at cross purposes, it’s exceedingly rare for the pope to directly criticize a U.S. leader — and Trump’s stinging response is equally uncommon, if not more so.

“We know that he will be unfazed by the President’s ad hominem attacks and sophomoric rhetoric,” Thomas said in a statement released late Sunday by the archdiocese. “He is doing what every spiritual leader is called to do — to pray for peace, to call for the protection of helpless civilians, and to plead for world leaders to end mass destruction and armed conflict in every part of the world.”

Trump launched his criticism of Leo in a lengthy social media post saying, “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.”

He added, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”

Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, told reporters aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria that the Vatican’s appeals for peace and reconciliation were rooted in the Gospel, and that he doesn’t fear the Trump administration. He stressed that he was not making a direct attack against Trump or anyone else with his appeal for peace and criticisms of the “delusion of omnipotence” that is fueling the Iran war and other conflicts around the world.

Leo has been a prominent voice in calling for an end to the conflict in Iran since the war began in late February.

“To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think, is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is,” Leo said. “And I’m sorry to hear that but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.”

He continued, “The message of the Gospel is very clear: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers.’”

Leo has also been critical of the administration’s immigration policies, labeling them “inhuman” and “extremely disrespectful.” He questioned the moral consistency of Catholics who support such measures.

There are roughly 53 million Catholics in the United States, representing 20% of the adult population, according to Pew Research.

Trump won a majority of Catholic voters in the 2024 election, but a new poll shows that support slipping, with 52% disapproving of his performance amid the war against Iran, according to the National Catholic Register. The survey, conducted March 20-23 by Republican pollster Shaw & Co. Research and Democratic pollster Beacon Research, found 48% of Catholics approve of Trump’s presidency, while 40% strongly disapprove. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 3%.

“I am grateful to God for sending us Pope Leo XIV, who is willing to speak truth to power just when we need him the most,” Archbishop Thomas said. “… God bless you, Pope Leo. We stand with you in prayer and offer you our loving support.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.