Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has strongly condemned Donald Trump’s recent criticisms of Pope Leo XIV, calling them ‘unacceptable’ in a statement released after the US president’s controversial comments.

Trump’s Remarks Spark International Outcry

Trump criticized the Pope in a long post on Truth Social, where he accused the pontiff of being ‘WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy.’ He later told reporters he was ‘not a big fan’ of the Pope, according to the BBC.

Meloni emphasized that the Pope is the head of the Catholic Church and that it is ‘right and normal for him to call for peace and to condemn every form of war.’ Her statement came as Italian opposition parties criticized her for not speaking out more promptly on the issue.

Matteo Salvini, the leader of the populist League party and Meloni’s coalition partner, said that ‘attacking the Pope… doesn’t seem like a useful or intelligent thing to do.’ He echoed Meloni’s stance that the Pope’s role is to promote peace rather than engage in political debates.

Pope Responds Calmly to Trump’s Attacks

The Pope addressed reporters en route to Algeria, stating he did not want to get into a debate with Trump but would continue to promote peace. He also said he has ‘no fear’ of the Trump administration and will continue to speak out against war.

Trump’s criticism of the Pope centered on his stance on the Iran conflict, with the US president suggesting the Pope should ‘get his act together’ and was ‘weak on nuclear weapons.’ He also claimed the Pope was elected ‘because he was American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J Trump.’

When asked to explain his post, Trump said, ‘I don’t think he’s doing a very good job, he likes crime, I guess.’ He added, ‘He’s a very liberal person, and he’s a man who doesn’t believe in stopping crime, he’s a man who doesn’t believe we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world.’

The Pope reiterated that his role is not that of a politician but to spread the message of peace. ‘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, what the Church is here to do,’ he told reporters.

Criticism from Catholics and Experts

Trump’s remarks drew criticism from Catholics around the world, with one expert comparing the comments to the Pope’s relationship with fascist dictators in 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. When Trump threatened Iran, saying that ‘a whole civilisation will die tonight,’ the Pope responded by calling the statement ‘truly unacceptable.’

The Pope has also criticized Trump’s hard-line immigration policy, questioning whether it was possible for someone to be ‘pro-life’ – a term normally associated with opponents of abortion – if they agreed with what he described as the ‘inhuman treatment of immigrants.’

Pope Leo is seen as continuing the humanitarian tradition of his predecessor Pope Francis, who said Trump was ‘not Christian’ during the 2016 election campaign because of his anti-immigrant language. Trump described the late Pope as ‘disgraceful.’

With more than 70 million Catholics in the US, about 20% of the population, Trump’s criticism of the Pope has sparked significant concern within the Catholic community. His Vice-President, JD Vance, is also a Catholic, adding to the visibility of the issue.