"Trump will not debate Pope Francis, he is begging him to withdraw into a language he can dominate. But the Pope speaks another language, one that refuses to be reduced to the grammar of force, security, national interest," wrote Father Antonio Spadaro on X.
Pope Francis, the first American pope, has become increasingly vocal regarding the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran, last week condemning Trump's rhetoric and threats against the Iranian people as "truly unacceptable."
In a conversation with reporters on Sunday evening, Trump said he is not a fan of Pope Francis.
"We don't like a pope who will say it's okay to have nuclear weapons. ... He is a man who doesn't think we should be playing around with a country that wants nuclear weapons so they can blow up the world," Trump said.
CNN's Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb, who is traveling with Pope Francis, said he cannot recall the last time a U.S. president attacked the pope in this way.
Lamb said Pope Francis is a kind of spiritual and diplomatic counterweight to President Trump, noting that his leadership style and priorities are in contrast with the American president.
Pope Francis will soon become the first pope to visit Algeria, a majority-Muslim country, before heading to Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.
"The contrast between the American pope in Algeria, a Muslim country, at a time when the U.S. is engaged in a military operation in Iran, represents a sharp contrast," Lamb said.
Lamb noted that the pope's remarks on the war are reaching the U.S.
"And obviously President Trump has responded in a very strong, unprecedented way," Lamb said.