Pope Leo XIV, in remarks reported across multiple outlets on Saturday, declined to enter into a public dispute with President Donald Trump, saying it was 'not in my interest' to debate the U.S. president. The statement came as the newly installed pontiff continued to emphasize peace — particularly regarding ongoing tensions involving Iran — as a central theme of his early papacy.

The Pope's comments follow a period of reported friction between the Vatican and the White House, with disagreements over immigration policy and other issues drawing attention since Leo XIV's election. Despite the tensions, the Pope's refusal to escalate into open confrontation was seen as a deliberate diplomatic posture aimed at preserving the Church's role as a moral and peacemaking institution.

Vice President JD Vance, who had previously been a point of contention in relations between U.S. Catholics and the administration, publicly thanked Pope Leo XIV, a gesture widely noted as a signal that the White House was not seeking further conflict with the Vatican. The Hill and other outlets reported Vance's remarks as a notable diplomatic development given the recent history between the two sides.

The Pope's peace message specifically addressed conflicts and military tensions, including those surrounding Iran. Observers noted that Leo XIV, as an American-born pope, occupies an unusual position in navigating relations with the U.S. government while maintaining the Vatican's independent moral voice on the world stage.

Trump, for his part, held a Bible reading event amid the ongoing discussion of his relationship with the Pope, according to the Washington Examiner. The sequence of events — papal restraint, a vice-presidential thank-you, and continued White House religious outreach — suggests both sides are moving to stabilize a relationship that had shown signs of public strain in the weeks following Leo XIV's election.