Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has voiced strong disapproval of statements made by former US President Donald Trump concerning Pope Francis, describing the comments as "unacceptable."
Meloni, leader of the right-wing Brothers of Italy party, stated on Monday that Trump's words directed at the pontiff were inappropriate. She emphasized that as the head of the Catholic Church, the Pope has a right and duty to advocate for peace and condemn all forms of warfare.
Trump's criticism came on Sunday night, targeting the first American Pope with accusations of being "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy." This followed Pope Francis's expressions of concern regarding the Trump administration's policies on migrant crackdowns and the conflict between the US and Iran.
"I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon," Trump reportedly wrote, although the pontiff had not previously endorsed Tehran possessing such weapons. He further added, "And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History."
Later, Trump shared an AI-generated image depicting himself in a Christ-like manner, healing the sick. He reportedly told reporters that he believed the image portrayed him as a doctor. This post has since been removed.
In his own response, Pope Francis indicated on Monday that he is "not afraid" of voicing the Catholic Church's teachings.
Speaking from aboard the papal plane, according to The Associated Press, the Pope stated, "I’m not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the Church works for."
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to comment.
Be the first to comment on this article!