Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has labeled Donald Trump’s recent remarks about Pope Leo XIV as “unacceptable.” Trump, the US president, had publicly criticized the pontiff on Truth Social, calling him “WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy,” and later told reporters he was “not a big fan.”
Meloni, a Catholic and leader of a right-wing coalition, stated, “The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and normal for him to call for peace and to condemn every form of war.” Despite being a close ally of Trump, Meloni had previously been hesitant to condemn his criticisms of Pope Leo. Her stance has drawn criticism from Italian opposition parties for her delayed response, while coalition partner Matteo Salvini also expressed disapproval of “attacking the Pope.”
Pope Leo XIV, currently on an 11-day trip to Africa, responded by saying he would not engage in a debate with Trump but would continue to promote peace. He reiterated his “no fear” stance regarding the Trump administration and his commitment to speaking out against war, particularly after Trump’s scathing attack on his position regarding the Iran conflict. The Pope has been a vocal critic of the Iran war, deeming Trump’s threats to destroy Iranian civilization “unacceptable” and urging for a diplomatic resolution. Trump, however, doubled down on his criticism, refusing to apologize to the “very weak” Pope.
Trump’s comments, made while the Pope was on a foreign trip, included suggestions that the Pope “should get his act together” and was “weak on nuclear weapons,” linking it to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He controversially implied the Pope’s election was influenced by his American nationality to better deal with Trump, even stating, “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.” When pressed, Trump further characterized the Pope as “very liberal” and someone who “doesn’t believe in stopping crime.”
In response, Pope Leo emphasized his role as a messenger of peace, not a politician. He asserted his lack of fear of the Trump administration and his commitment to the Gospel’s message, stating, “Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say: there’s a better way to do this.” He also criticized “continuous violations of international law and neocolonial tendencies” in a speech.
The US president’s remarks have sparked global condemnation among Catholics, with one commentator, Massimo Faggioli, noting the unprecedented nature of such direct attacks on a Pope, comparing it to historical dictators like Hitler or Mussolini. Pope Leo has consistently used his platform to denounce global conflicts, advocate for de-escalation in the Middle East, and criticize Trump’s immigration policies, drawing parallels to his predecessor Pope Francis, who had also clashed with Trump over similar issues.
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