Italian PM Meloni calls Trump’s pope remarks ‘unacceptable’

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni issued a sharp rebuke on Monday to US President Donald Trump’s recent comments targeting Pope Leo XIV, calling the remarks “unacceptable.” In a statement released by her office, Meloni said: “I find President Trump’s words regarding the Holy Father to be unacceptable. The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and normal that he should call for peace and condemn all forms of war.”

Trump’s broadside against the pontiff

Trump launched a sweeping attack on the first American-born pope on Sunday, writing on Truth Social: “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.” He also claimed the Catholic Church chose Leo last May primarily to manage ties with the Trump administration. Speaking to reporters later, Trump said, “I don’t think he’s doing a very good job.” He also objected to the pope’s stance on Iran’s nuclear program and the US attack on Venezuela, adding: “Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.”

Meloni defends papal role

Meloni’s defense of the pontiff underscores the diplomatic rift between Rome and Washington. Trump further claimed that the pope’s current trajectory “is hurting the Catholic Church.” The exchange highlights growing transatlantic tensions over moral and foreign policy leadership.