Kuala Lampur, April 19 -- Pope Leo XIV said Saturday he regretted remarks he made were interpreted as a response to criticism from President Donald Trump, insisting he had no interest in debating the US leader.

An example was a speech about "tyrants" ransacking the world that he delivered in Cameroon on Thursday on the second leg of a tour of Africa, Leo told journalists as he travelled to Angola.

The remarks had been written well before Trump's "comment on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting," he said.

"And yet it was perceived as if I were trying to start a new debate with the president, which doesn't interest me at all," Leo said.

"Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary tr...