Amid clash with Trump, Pope Leo says democracies can become ‘tyranny of the majority’

Pope Leo visits the ancient Roman city of Hippo, in Algeria Pope Leo XIV warned this Tuesday (14) of the risk of democracies turning into a “tyranny of the majority”, in a letter released by the Vatican. The document was published two days after United States President Donald Trump attacked the pontiff on social media. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The first North American pope in history, Leão wrote to participants in a meeting at the Vatican about the use of power in democratic societies. According to him, democracies only remain healthy when they are based on moral values. “Without this foundation, democracy runs the risk of becoming a tyranny of the majority or a mask for the dominance of economic and technological elites,” he stated. The text was released while the pope is on a ten-day trip to four African countries. The letter does not directly mention the United States or name specific democracies. On Sunday (12), Trump called the pope “terrible” after Leo became, in recent weeks, a growing critic of the war between the United States, Israel and Iran. In an interview on Monday (13), the pontiff stated that he intends to continue criticizing the conflict, despite the North American president’s statements. He also said he is not afraid of the Trump administration. In this Tuesday’s letter, Leão said that the Catholic Church teaches that power should not be seen as an end in itself, but as an instrument aimed at the common good. According to him, the legitimacy of authority does not depend on the accumulation of economic or technological strength, but on the wisdom and virtue with which power is exercised. The pope also urged democratic leaders to avoid the temptation to concentrate power. For Leo, moderation is essential to prevent abuses of authority and contain excessive personal exaltation. READ ALSO ‘I’m not afraid’: how Pope Leo abandoned indirectness and toughened his speech against Trump Senegal sentences man to prison for ‘acts against nature’ based on new law against homosexuality Spain approves mass regularization of undocumented immigrants; see the rules Pope Leo XIV during a trip to Africa, on April 13, 2026 REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane VIDEOS: most watched on g1

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