US President Donald Trump's harsh criticism of Pope Leo XIV has been labeled 'unacceptable' by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Trump allegedly accused the pontiff of being 'WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy' in a lengthy Truth Social post, later telling reporters he was 'not a big fan'. Meloni, who heads a right-wing coalition government and is a close ally of Trump, had previously been reluctant to condemn the US president's sharp attacks on the Pope.
'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,' Meloni stated. Italian opposition parties criticized Meloni for not speaking out promptly. Her coalition partner Matteo Salvini, leader of the populist League party, said that 'attacking the Pope... doesn't seem like a useful or intelligent thing to do.'
Following Trump's remarks, the Pope told reporters en route to Algeria that he did not want to engage in a debate with Trump but would continue to promote peace. Pope Leo has stated he has 'no fear' of the Trump administration and will continue to speak out against war after the US president launched an unusual and scathing attack over his stance on the Iran conflict. He has been a staunch critic of the Iran war, calling Trump's threat to destroy Iranian civilization 'unacceptable'.
On Monday, Trump doubled down on his criticism, saying he would not apologize to the 'very weak' Pope. He also suggested that the pontiff was elected 'because he was American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.' 'If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican,' Trump purportedly claimed.
Trump's comments drew criticism from Catholics worldwide, with one expert comparing the remarks to the Pope's relationship with fascist dictators during World War Two. 'Not even Hitler or Mussolini attacked the Pope so directly and publicly,' said prominent Italian Catholic commentator Massimo Faggioli. The Pope has used numerous public addresses to denounce global conflicts and urge de-escalation in the Middle East, highlighting the deepening rift between Vatican diplomacy and US foreign policy under the current regime.
Source: www.bbc.com