Italian Prime Minister Meloni issued a statement on the 13th saying that U.S. President Trump’s attacks on Roman Catholic Pope Leo XIV are “unacceptable.”
Pope Leo XIV is the leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide. Meloni stated: “I believe President Trump’s remarks about the Pope are unacceptable. The Pope is the leader of the Catholic Church, and it is right and entirely appropriate for him to call for peace and condemn all forms of war.”
Meloni is a Catholic, and public opinion has noted that as Trump’s close ally, she had previously been reluctant to condemn Trump’s harsh criticism of Leo XIV. Opposition parties criticized Meloni for failing to speak out promptly.
On the evening of the 12th, Trump harshly criticized Pope Leo XIV, saying the Pope was “weak on crime” and that his foreign policy was “a complete mess.”
Trump wrote: “I don’t want a pope who thinks it’s okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons. I also don’t want a pope who thinks it’s a bad thing for America to attack Venezuela... I don’t want a pope who criticizes the U.S. president.”
The Pope quickly responded to Trump’s attack, telling reporters that he is “not afraid” of the Trump administration and pledging to continue speaking out against a U.S.-led war with Iran and to defend the rights of migrants.
On April 11, Leo XIV issued a strongly worded statement condemning the “omnipotent delusion” that fueled U.S. and Israeli efforts to wage war on Iran, and called on political leaders to immediately stop and seek peace through negotiations.
“Stop the worship of self and money! Stop flaunting force! Stop the war!” Leo XIV said during an evening prayer service.