The feud between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV escalated to extraordinary new territory this week — with the president posting an image suggesting he possesses saint-like healing powers akin to those of Jesus Christ, even as the world's first American-born pope fired back defiantly, saying he fears neither Trump nor his administration.

The image, posted by Trump amid his broadside against Leo, depicted the president wearing a biblical-style robe, laying hands on a bedridden man as light emanated from his fingers — while a soldier, a nurse, a praying woman and a bearded man looked on admiringly. Eagles, an American flag and vaporous images filled the sky above.

It was a stunning visual moment in what has already become one of the most remarkable public clashes between an American president and a sitting pope in modern history.

And Leo — speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria — didn't blink.

"I'm not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel," Leo said. "Too many people are suffering today, too many innocent people have been killed, and I believe someone must stand up and say that there is a better way."

The extraordinary confrontation began Sunday night when Trump unleashed a lengthy social media attack against Leo — calling him weak, liberal and a bad pope — after the pontiff suggested a "delusion of omnipotence" was fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran.

"Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," Trump wrote, adding — remarkably — "If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican."

Trump kept up the attack after deplaning in Washington, telling reporters bluntly: "I'm not a fan of Pope Leo. I don't think he's doing a very good job. He likes crime I guess. He's a very liberal person."

He also accused Leo of only becoming pope because he was American and church leaders thought it would help them deal with Trump — a claim that drew swift and sharp rebuke from Catholic leaders on both sides of the Atlantic.

"Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician," said Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, saying he was "disheartened" by Trump's comments. "He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls."

Leo, for his part, was measured but unmistakably firm — refusing to be drawn into a political brawl while making clear he has no intention of backing down.

"To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is," Leo told The Associated Press. "I will not shy away from announcing the message of the Gospel and inviting all people to look for ways of building bridges of peace and reconciliation."

The clash has its roots in Leo's repeated and pointed opposition to the Iran war. Before the ceasefire, when Trump warned of mass strikes and said "an entire civilization will die tonight," Leo called such sentiments "truly unacceptable." He has previously said God "does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them" — and referenced the Old Testament passage from Isaiah: "Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen — your hands are full of blood."

Trump bristled at all of it — and went further, criticizing Leo for opposing the Trump administration's ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and for what Trump characterized as catering to the "Radical Left."

"I don't want a Pope who says it's OK to have a nuclear weapon," Trump said. "Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It's hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it's hurting the Catholic Church!"

The response from Catholic leaders across the globe was swift and unified. Italian politicians across the political spectrum expressed solidarity with Leo. Premier Giorgia Meloni sent a message of support while opposition leader Elly Schlein called Trump's attacks "extremely serious." The Italian Bishops' Conference expressed regret, stressing that the pope "is not a political counterpart, but the successor of Peter, called to serve the Gospel, truth and peace."

The confrontation comes at a deeply charged moment. Trump won 55% of Catholic voters in the 2024 election, and his administration has close ties to conservative evangelical Protestant leaders who have openly claimed heavenly endorsement for the Iran war. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Americans to pray for victory "in the name of Jesus Christ." When Trump himself was asked whether God approved of the war, he replied: "I do, because God is good — because God is good and God wants to see people taken care of."

Now, with the president posting images of himself in biblical robes performing miraculous healings — and the American pope declaring from a plane over Africa that he will not be silenced — the collision between two of the most powerful figures on earth has entered territory that is, by any measure, without modern precedent.