Meloni issues rare criticism of Trump after his attack on pope

ROME : US President Donald Trump’s attack on Pope Leo was “unacceptable,” Italian PM Giorgia Meloni said on Monday, joining forces with politicians of all colours in springing to the pontiff’s defence. The statement represented an extremely rare public rebuke of Trump from Meloni, who has cultivated particularly close ties with the US president, underscoring widespread anger in Italy over his broadside on Pope Leo.

Meloni issued an initial statement backing Leo as she flew off on an ambitious fournation visit to Africa, but made no specific mention of Trump’s broadside. Opposition politicians accused her of lacking the courage to directly challenge Trump, prompting her to issue a second statement later in the day to clarify her position. “I find President Trump’s words towards 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 to condemn every form of war,” she said.




This is a Reuters story.