Pope Leo XIV on Monday said he had "no intention to debate" with Donald Trump, after the US president criticised him over his comments on the US-Iran war.
"I am not a politician," the pope told reporters aboard the papal plane as they headed to Algeria for the pontiff's first visit to Africa.
"I have no intention to debate with (Trump). The message is the same: to promote peace," he said.
The US-born pope, who is on an 11-day tour of Africa, landed in Algeria on Monday, in the first such trip by a pontiff to the Muslim-majority country.
He arrived in the capital Algiers at around 0900 GMT, and was expected to pay tribute to the victims of Algeria's war of independence from France.
Just hours before he left Rome, at around 0700 GMT, Leo became the target of very public criticism from Trump, who railed against the pope's entreaties for an end to violence in the Iran war.
"I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo," Trump told reporters, accusing the pontiff of "toying with a country (Iran) that wants a nuclear weapon".
Trump later suggested cardinals only elected Leo pope in May 2025 because he was American, and a potential bridge to Washington -- before posting an AI-generated image seemingly depicting himself as Jesus Christ.
Leo had criticised as "unacceptable" Trump's threats against civilians in Iran, although he did not name the president, while he has also previously criticised the Trump administration's "inhuman" treatment of migrants.
In what will be interpreted as a show of support, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni -- a far-right leader close to Trump -- issued a statement Monday morning wishing the pope a successful trip to the four African nations.
"May the Holy Father's ministry foster the resolution of conflicts and the return of peace, both internally and between nations, following the path traced by his predecessors, and provide support and comfort to the Christian communities he will encounter during his journey," she wrote.