A Catholic bishop who oversees the Diocese of Palm Beach in Florida, which includes President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, publicly criticized the president’s ongoing conflict with Pope Leo XIV on Sunday.
Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez, who was recently named to lead the diocese, shared his message during Sunday Mass by showing a statement on a large screen during the service.
The statement said, “The Diocese of Palm Beach stands firmly with our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, and strongly opposes the disrespectful and violent attacks that Donald J. Trump has made against the Holy Father,” according to an image posted online.
NEW: The Bishop of Palm Beach — the Florida diocese that includes Mar-a-Lago — distributed this message at Mass today condemning President Trump's attacks on Pope Leo XIV. pic.twitter.com/gRn2MpnXk6
— Christopher Hale (@ChristopherHale) April 19, 2026
It went on to say, “These attacks also represent a serious violation of the religious freedom protected by the United States Constitution and, as a result, harm the rights of American Catholics.”
Rodríguez ended the message by asking the congregation to pray for the safety of the Holy Father.
Trump’s disagreement with Pope Leo grew stronger last week when the president criticized the pontiff on Truth Social, calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy,” while also taking credit for his election.
The comments came after the pope called for peace following U.S. military action against Iran.
In response to Trump’s remarks, Pope Leo told reporters he had “no fear” of the Trump administration before making additional comments about the use of religious language to support or justify war.
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