Pope Leo issues warning on democracy after Trump criticism

Pope Leo warned of the risk of democracies sliding into "majoritarian tyranny" on Tuesday, in a letter issued by the Vatican two days ⁠after U.S. President Donald Trump attacked ⁠the pontiff on social media.

The first U.S. pope, writing to participants of a Vatican meeting about the use of power ⁠in democratic societies, said democracies remained healthy only when they were rooted in moral values.

"Lacking this foundation, (democracy) risks becoming either a majoritarian tyranny or a mask for the dominance of economic and technological elites," said Leo in the letter.

The text, released as the pope was undertaking an ambitious, 10-day tour of four African countries, did not directly ⁠address the ⁠U.S. or name any specific democracies.

Trump sharply criticized Leo as "terrible" on Sunday night, after the pope had emerged in recent weeks as a growing critic of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

Leo told Reuters on Monday that he planned to keep criticizing the war, despite Trump's comments.

In ⁠Tuesday's letter, the pope said the Catholic Church taught that power could not be seen as an end in itself "but as a means ordered toward the common good".

"This implies that the legitimacy of authority depends not on the accumulation of economic or technological ⁠strength, ‌but on ‌the wisdom and virtue with which ⁠it is exercised," said ‌Leo.

The pope also urged leaders in democratic societies to avoid any temptation to hoard ⁠power.

"Temperance ... proves essential for the ⁠legitimate use of authority, for true temperance restrains ⁠inordinate self-exaltation and acts as a guardrail against the abuse of power," he said.