God is not on the side of the arrogant

Without saying the name Donald Trump, Leo XIV criticized the “arrogant people of the world who decide wars” and spoke about injustice and lies.

O Papa insisted that God, torn apart by wars, is not on the side of the arrogant, in a statement interpreted as a new criticism of the North American President and the war against Iran.

Leo XIV he returned to criticizing the “arrogant people of the world who decide wars” on the second day of his visit to Algeria, returning to Annaba, 550 kilometers east of Algiers, the territory where Saint Augustine was bishop in the 5th century, according to the Italian news agency Ansa.

After Monday’s response to , in which he stated that he did not fear a head of state who described him as weak and terrible at foreign policy, Leo XIV reiterated that “the heart of God is torn by wars, violence, injustice and lies”.

“But Our Father’s heart is not with the wicked, with the arrogantwith the proud: God’s heart is with the humble and the simple, and with them he advances his Kingdom of love and peace, day after day”, he stated, praising the work carried out in the Home for the Elderly managed by the Little Sisters of the Poor in Annaba.

Meanwhile in a message sent to participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences on the use of power at the global level, Leo XIV argued that the concept of legitimate power finds one of the highest expressions in authentic democracy.

“Far from being a mere procedure, the Democracy recognizes the dignity of each person”, but it only remains solid when it is based on the moral law and a true vision of the human person.

“Without this foundation, it runs the risk of becoming a tyranny of the majority or in a mask for the domination of economic and technological elites”, he maintained.

The displacement of Leo XIV took on personal symbolism for the Pope, former world head of the Order of Saint Augustine.

Leo XIV arrived at the local airport in the morning (local time), in the rain, being received by the Bishop of Constantine-Hippo, Nicolas Guillaud, and the Algerian Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Culture.

The program began at the coastal city’s archaeological site, a complex that preserves Roman and Christian remains, such as the forum, theater, market and ancient baths.

The Pope walked through the ruins to the Basilica of Peace, which marks the place where Saint Augustine exercised his pastoral ministry for 34 years and where he died, in 430, during the siege of the Vandals.

At the end of the archaeological tour, Leo XIV laid a wreath of flowers and retired for a moment of silent prayer, accompanied by a choral group from the Annaba Institute of Music.

He also planted an olive tree, as a symbol of peace.

The importance of Augustinian thought had already been evoked by the Pope on Monday during his visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers.

“I come with great joy to Algeria, because this is also the land of my spiritual father, Saint Augustinewho wanted to teach so much to the world, especially through the search for truth, the search for God, recognizing the dignity of each human being and the importance of building peace”, he said, in an impromptu intervention.

Leo XIV’s visit to Annaba ends with the celebration of a mass in the Basilica of Saint Augustine, returning to Algiers in the late afternoon.