Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has strongly criticized comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump about the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, calling Trump’s remarks “unacceptable.” Recently, the Pope condemned Trump’s threat to destroy Iran, which prompted an angry response from Trump, who described him as “terrible”; this sparked widespread criticism internationally, especially in Catholic-majority countries. In a statement on Monday, Meloni said, “The language used by President Trump about the Pope is unacceptable; the Pope is the leader of the Catholic Church, and calling for peace and condemning all forms of war fall within his moral duty and rights.” Notably, although Meloni is often seen as politically aligned with Trump’s ideology, she took a firm stand in criticizing his remarks when it came to respecting the Pope. On Sunday, Trump made aggressive comments about the Pope, saying he does not think “the Pope is doing a very good job” and that he should stop trying to please “radical leftists”; speaking to journalists, Trump also stated that he is not a fan of Pope Leo. On Monday, Pope Leo XIV responded to Trump’s criticism, stating that he is not afraid of the Trump administration and that the Vatican’s call for peace is rooted in the core message of Christianity. Speaking to the Associated Press aboard a special flight during his visit to Algeria, the Pope said, “I am saddened by Trump’s remarks, but I will continue the mission of the Church worldwide”; he added that criticizing ongoing global conflicts is not a direct attack on Trump or any specific individual. Source: BBC.
Italian PM furious with Trump for calling Pope ‘terrible’
