In an unprecedented, direct attack on the head of the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church, US President Donald Trump harshly denounced Pope Leo late on Sunday, prompting quick criticism from followers. Leo was called “terrible” by the president, seemingly in response to the pope’s increasing condemnation of the US-Israeli war on Iran and the Trump administration’s strict immigration policy.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated, “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and…terrible for Foreign Policy.” Catholics swiftly denounced Trump on social media for disparaging the head of their church, whom they consider to be the heir to St. Peter, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples.Massimo Faggioli, a papal expert, told Reuters that there is no doubt about the current state of affairs.
On Easter at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV delivers his “Urbi et Orbi” (To the city and the globe) speech from the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. File/Reuters He likened the remarks to those made by the leaders of Germany and Italy to persuade the late Pope Pius XII to endorse their causes during World War Two.Even Hitler and Mussolini did not publicly and bluntly criticize the pope, according to Faggioli. The head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, expressed disappointment over Trump’s remarks.He is neither in competition with Pope Leo, nor is the Pope a politician. In a statement, he declared, “He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.”
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