Italian PM Condemns ‘Unacceptable’ Trump Criticism of Pope Leo XIV

ROME — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Monday condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV as “unacceptable,” following the American-born pontiff’s public remarks against the ongoing war in the Middle East.

“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,” Meloni said in a statement.

The rebuke is rare for Meloni, a far-right leader who has often positioned herself as a bridge between the conservative Trump administration and more skeptical European leaders. Her defense of the Pope underscores the political sensitivity of attacking a globally revered religious figure, even for a close ideological ally.

Meloni had initially issued a statement earlier Monday supporting Pope Leo’s efforts toward peace and reconciliation during his trip to Africa, which began that same day. However, just hours later, Trump launched a scathing personal attack on the first U.S. pontiff in history.

“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,” Meloni said in a follow-up declaration.

Trump’s attack: “Weak on crime, terrible for foreign policy”

Speaking to reporters late Sunday aboard Air Force One, Trump said he was “not a big fan of Pope Leo,” accusing the pontiff of “toying with a country [Iran] that wants a nuclear weapon.”

The president later doubled down in a post on Truth Social, writing: “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.”

Trump’s comments mark a dramatic escalation in rhetoric against a religious leader who has openly challenged some of the administration’s foreign policy stances, particularly regarding non-proliferation and Middle Eastern diplomacy.

Pope Leo responds: “I have no fear”

Pope Leo XIV, speaking to reporters aboard the papal flight to Algeria the first stop on a four-nation African tour that also includes Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea dismissed Trump’s attacks with characteristic calm.

“I have no fear neither of the Trump administration, nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel,” Leo said. He added that he has a “moral duty” to speak out against war, regardless of political consequences.

The pontiff has previously drawn criticism from conservative circles for his calls for dialogue with Iran and his warnings against military escalation in the Middle East. His African tour is expected to focus on peacebuilding, climate justice, and interfaith reconciliation.

Political fallout in Italy and beyond

Trump’s remarks drew swift outrage from across the Italian political spectrum, including figures from both the center-left opposition and Meloni’s own right-wing coalition. Catholic bishops from the United States and Italy also rallied to the Pope’s defense, with the Italian Episcopal Conference calling Trump’s comments “disrespectful and gravely imprudent.”

The clash highlights the growing friction between Trump’s “America First” foreign policy and the Vatican’s traditional role as a global moral arbiter. Political analysts note that while Meloni has largely aligned with Trump on issues like immigration and cultural conservatism, the Pope remains a unifying figure in Italy  a country where over 70% of citizens identify as Catholic.

As Pope Leo continues his weeklong African journey, the Vatican has so far refrained from further official comment, but insiders suggest the pontiff is unlikely to back down. “He sees this as a Gospel mandate, not a political debate,” one Vatican source said. “Criticism from Washington will not silence him.”

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