Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has faulted the United States President Donald Trump’s remark towards Pope Leo XIV as ‘unacceptable’.
“I find President Trump’s words towards the Holy Father unacceptable,” Ms Meloni said in a statement on Monday.
“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.”
“May the Holy Father’s ministry help foster the resolution of conflicts and the return of peace, both within nations and among them,” she added.
Ms Meloni’s criticism marks a rare rebuke of Mr Trump’s administration, who she has maintained a close tie with.
Similarly, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, distanced himself from Mr Trump’s ‘attack’ and ‘blatant act of aggression’ against the pope.
“If there is one person striving for peace, it is Pope Leo, and so attacking him does not seem either wise or helpful. It has been centuries since such a blatant act of aggression against the Roman pontiff was seen,” the deputy prime minister said in a statement.
Earlier, in a Sunday night post, Mr Trump slammed Pope Leo XIV over the pontiff’s criticism of U.S. attacks on Iran and Venezuela.
The Pope, in a Palm Sunday address, had rebuked Mr Trump for threatening to destroy Iranian civilisation, while warning that God does not answer the prayers of those whose “hands are full of blood or who wage war.”
The clergyman admonished world leaders to put an end to ongoing bloodshed globally.
Responding to the clergyman , Mr Trump described the pontiff as “weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy.”
“I don’t want a pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. I don’t want a pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a country that was sending massive amounts of drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our country,” Mr Trump stated.
He added, “Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn’t on any list to be pope and was only put there by the church because he was an 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.”
In his reply to Mr Trump, the Pope, on Monday, told journalists that he was unafraid to speak about the gospel, while describing Mr Trump post on Truth Social as ironic.
“I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do. It’s ironic — the name of the site itself. Say no more,” Pope Leo stated.
