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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has criticised United States President Donald Trump over his comments about Pope Leo XIV, describing them as “unacceptable” following the pontiff’s intervention in the Middle East conflict.
Meloni said the Pope, as head of the Catholic Church, has a legitimate role in speaking out on global peace and conflict issues.
“The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and normal for him to call for peace and to condemn all forms of war,” she said in a statement.
She said it was appropriate that the pontiff continues to advocate peace and condemn war in all its forms, stressing that such a role is both expected and necessary.
The Italian leader, who has often been seen as politically aligned with Trump, issued a stronger follow-up statement, insisting her position had been misunderstood.
She said she considered Trump’s comments about the Pope inappropriate and unacceptable, adding that her earlier remarks were meant to make that position clear.
“I thought the meaning of my statement this morning was clear, but I will restate it more explicitly. I find President Trump’s words about the Holy Father unacceptable,” she said.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump had criticised the Pope over his comments on Iran’s nuclear programme, saying he was not supportive of the pontiff’s stance, accusing him of being too lenient on the issue. He also argued that he disagreed with the Pope’s approach to foreign policy and security matters.
“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” he said.
His comments drew strong reactions from political and religious figures, with Catholic leaders in both the US and Italy defending Pope Leo.
Speaking during his trip to Algeria, Pope Leo defended his public interventions on global conflicts, stating that he had a responsibility to speak out against war and injustice.
“I have no fear, neither of the Trump administration, nor speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel,” he said.
