ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE, April 14 -- US-born Pope Leo XIV pushed back Monday on President Donald Trump's broadside against him over the US-Israel war in Iran, telling reporters that the Vatican's appeals for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel, and that he doesn't fear the Trump administration. "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 told The Associated Press aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria. "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." History's first U.S.-born pope stressed that he was not making a direct attack against Trump or anyone else with his general appeal for peace and criticisms of the "delusion of omnipotence" that is fueling the Iran war and other conflicts around the world. "I will not enter into debate. The things that I say are certainly not meant as attacks on anyone. The message of the Gospel is very clear: 'Blessed are the peacemakers,'" Leo said. "I will not shy away from announcing the message of the Gospel and inviting all people to look for ways of building bridges of peace and reconciliation, and looking for ways to avoid war any time that's possible." Speaking to other reporters, he added: "I'm not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the Church works for.'' "We are not politicians. We do not look at foreign policy from the same perspective that he may have,'' the pope said, adding, "I will continue to speak out strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems. "Too many people are suffering today, too many innocent people have been killed, and I believe someone must stand up and say that there is a better way,'' he said. Trump delivered an extraordinary broadside against Leo on Sunday night, saying he didn't think the US-born global leader of the Catholic Church is "doing a very good job" and that "he's a very liberal person," while also suggesting the pontiff should "stop catering to the Radical Left." Flying back to Washington from Florida, Trump used a lengthy social media post to sharply criticize Leo, then kept it up after deplaning, in comments on the tarmac to reporters. "I'm not a fan of Pope Leo," he said. Trump's comments came after Leo suggested over the weekend that a "delusion of omnipotence" is fueling the US-Israel war in 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 US leader - and Trump's stinging response is equally uncommon, if not more so. "Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," the president wrote in his post, adding, "I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon." Italian politicians across the spectrum showed their solidarity with Leo. Premier Giorgia Meloni sent a message of support for his peace mission while the leader of the main opposition party, Elly Schlein, was more direct, calling Trump's attacks "extremely serious." Trump repeated that sentiment in comments to reporters, saying, "We don't like a pope who says it's OK to have a nuclear weapon." Later, Trump posted a picture suggesting he had saint-like powers akin to those of Jesus Christ. Wearing a biblical-style robe, Trump is seen laying hands on a bedridden man as light emanates from his fingers, while a soldier, a nurse, a praying woman and a bearded man in a baseball cap all look on admiringly. The sky above is filled with eagles, an American flag and vaporous images. All of that came after Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday, the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan during a fragile ceasefire, with Vice President JD Vance leading the US delegation. Vance is Catholic and recently released a book about his faith. During his evening prayer service, the pope didn't mention the United States or Trump by name, but his tone and message appeared directed at Trump and US officials, who have justified the war in religious terms....