A public dispute has broken out between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and U.S. President Donald Trump over his criticism of Pope Leo XIV and the pontiff’s anti-war stance.
Meloni, typically seen as one of Trump’s closest allies in Europe, pushed back against his remarks in two statements issued earlier this week. In her first response, she expressed support for the Pope without directly naming Trump. However, after facing criticism at home for not confronting him more directly, she followed up with a stronger message.
“I find President Trump’s words towards the Holy Father unacceptable,” Meloni said, emphasizing that it is both natural and appropriate for the head of the Catholic Church to advocate for peace and condemn war. She later added that she would be uncomfortable in a society where religious leaders are expected to follow political directives.
The disagreement widened as Meloni also distanced Italy from recent U.S. foreign policy moves. Her government opposed the U.S. military’s use of a Sicilian base for operations related to Iran and paused a military cooperation agreement with Israel, signaling a broader divergence on Middle East policy.
Trump responded critically, suggesting Meloni was no longer the ally he had believed her to be. He accused her of failing to support NATO efforts and claimed she was not aligned with U.S. priorities regarding nuclear threats.
The clash began after Trump publicly criticized Pope Leo XIV on social media, calling him weak on crime and ineffective on foreign policy. He urged the Pope to focus on religious leadership rather than political issues and accused him of taking positions favorable to Iran.
The controversy intensified when Trump shared an AI-generated image portraying himself in a Christ-like manner, which drew backlash from religious figures and conservative commentators before it was removed.
The exchange highlights growing tensions not only between the two leaders but also over the broader role of religious authority in global political debates.
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