Algiers, Algeria - Pope Leo XIV said Monday he had "a moral duty" to speak out against war and didn't "fear" President Donald Trump after the US leader criticized his calls for an end to the conflict in the Middle East.

Before taking off from Rome, headed to Algiers for a papal visit, the pontiff came under fire from Trump.

The president railed against Leo's recent calls for peace with the Middle East amid the war triggered by a joint Israel-US attack on Iran in late February.

The pope told reporters aboard the papal plane that he had "no intention to debate with" Trump, adding that he was "not a politician."

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"What I am saying is that the mission of the Church is very clear," he said. "The Gospel says... blessed are the peacemakers. I believe that the Church has a moral duty to speak out very clearly against war and in favor of peace and reconciliation."

The pope added, "I have no fear, neither of the Trump administration, nor speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel."

Earlier, the US president had said Leo was "toying with a country (Iran) that wants a nuclear weapon," adding that he was "not a big fan of Pope Leo."

The pontiff landed in the Algerian capital shortly before 0900 GMT and called for "forgiveness" in a speech paying tribute to victims of the country's 1954-1962 war of independence from France.

The remarks, his first since arriving in the North African country, came amid heightened tensions between Algeria and France, and followed a meeting days ago with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Vatican.

"In this place, let us remember that God desires peace for every nation," he said at the Algerian Martyrs Memorial in the capital.

"This peace, which allows us to face the future with a reconciled spirit, is possible only through forgiveness."