US President Donald Trump has raged at Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni as the two leaders clash over his row with Pope Leo XIV.
Mr Trump criticised the Pope saying he was "weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy". Then, speaking at the White House today in what was understood to be an unscheduled update, he refused to apologies. Italian Prime Minister Meloni, commenting on the war of words between Mr Trump and Pope Leo XIV, said: "I find President Trump's words about the Holy Father unacceptable. The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and normal for him to call for peace and condemn all forms of war."
The Pope replied to Mr Trump's comments by saying: "I am not afraid of the Trump administration. I speak of the Gospel and therefore I will continue to speak out loudly against the war. I have no intention of entering into a debate with him."
A photo showing the AI image created by Donald Trump. (Image: Getty)
The US President, interviewed by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, said: "I can't imagine that. I thought she had courage, I was wrong." Mr Trump also added: "It is she [Meloni] who is unacceptable, because she doesn't care if Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow up Italia in two minutes if she had the chance. She is no longer the same person, and Italia will not be the same country."
Giuseppe Conte, leader of the Five Star Movement, said PM Meloni paid for " certain ambiguities". Quoted by Il Sole 24 Ore, he said: "I had tried to warn that at least linearity and clarity can provide some protection, rather than certain ambiguities that at some point, like all knots, come to the surface."
Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born pope stressed that he was not making a direct attack against Mr Trump or anyone else as he criticised the "delusion of omnipotence" that is fueling the Iran wars and other conflicts around the world.
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He also previously said that God "does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them," and also referenced an Old Testament passage from Isaiah, saying that "even though you make many prayers, I will not listen - your hands are full of blood".
US President Donald Trump has also been recently criticised after he posted a Jesus-like AI image of himself. He posted it just hours after criticising the head of the Catholic Church. Mr Trump then deleted the image and explained it was meant to depict him as a doctor.
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English (US) · 