STORY: :: Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni backs Pope Leo after he is criticized by U.S President Donald Trump
:: Verona, Italy / April 14, 2026
"What I said is what I think: those statements, particularly regarding the pontiff, were unacceptable. I expressed, and continue to express, my solidarity with Pope Leo. I'll tell you more: frankly, I would not feel at ease in a society where religious leaders do what political leaders tell them to do; let's say, not in this part of the world. So, that is why I did not agree, and I said it."
The Italian prime minister, who is seen as close to the U.S. president, had first said Trump's attack on Pope Leo was "unacceptable" on Monday, underscoring widespread anger in Italy over his broadside on the pontiff.
Speaking in Verona on Tuesday, Meloni also said it was important to press on with peace negotiations to end the war between the United States and Iran, also looking to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement represented an extremely rare public rebuke of Trump from Meloni, who has cultivated particularly close ties with the U.S. president, underscoring widespread anger in Italy over his broadside on Pope Leo.
