Pope Leo XIV warned against governments falling into “majoritarian tyranny” following his clash with President Trump.
Discussing the power of democracies, the Pope explained, “Far from being a mere procedure, democracy recognizes the dignity of every person and calls each citizen to participate responsibly in the pursuit of the common good.” He added that democracies can only remain “healthy” when “when rooted in the moral law and a true vision of the human person.”
“Lacking this foundation, it risks becoming either a majoritarian tyranny or a mask for the dominance of economic and technological elites,” he stated.
“The same principles that guide the exercise of authority within nations must likewise inform the international order — a truth that is particularly important to recall at a time when strategic rivalries and shifting alliances are reshaping global relations,” the Pope went on. “We must recall that a just and stable international order cannot emerge from the mere balance of power or from a purely technocratic logic. The concentration of technological, economic and military power in a few hands threatens both democratic participation among peoples and international concord.”
“With these sentiments, I earnestly hope that your reflections during these days will yield valuable insights for clarifying the legitimate uses of power, the criteria of authentic democracy and the kind of international order that serves the common good,” he said.
The statements come as President Trump declared the Pope to be “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.” Trump wrote on Truth Social that while Pope Leo talks about “fear” of his administration, he “doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart.”
The Pope said this week, “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.”
