When it comes to trump accuses pope of ‘endangering a lot of catholics’ with iran stance, donald Trump has accused Pope Leo XIV of putting Catholics at risk over Iran, renewing their dispute two days before US secretary of state Marco Rubio meets the pontiff at the Vatican on Thursday. The visit is intended to ease tensions over the pope's opposition to the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Understanding Trump Accuses Pope Of ‘endangering A Lot Of Catholics’ With Iran Stance
Speaking to Hugh Hewitt, a prominent conservative radio talkshow host on the US-based Salem News network, Donald Trump said the pope "would rather talk about the fact that it's OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, and I don't think that's very good". Originally reported by The Guardian.
"I think he's endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people," Donald Trump added. "But I guess if it's up to the pope, he thinks it's just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon."
Leo has never said Iran should have nuclear weapons. The Chicago-born pontiff has repeatedly opposed the war and its subsequent escalation in Lebanon and the wider Middle East, urging ceasefires and dialogue instead.
That distinction separates the pope's stated position from the president's accusation. Opposition to the military campaign isn't an endorsement of an Iranian nuclear weapon, and Leo's appeals have focused on ending the fighting through diplomacy.
The latest remarks put fresh pressure on Rubio's Vatican mission before it begins. They also bring the argument back to the issue behind the earlier confrontation: the administration's use of force and the pope's public objections to the war.
Rubio's Vatican visit seeks dialogue, not deeper division
Brian Burch, the US ambassador to the Holy See, said on Tuesday that he expected a "frank" meeting between Rubio, a Catholic, and Leo at the Apostolic Palace on Thursday morning.
"Nations have disagreements, and I think one of the ways that you work through those is.. through fraternity and authentic dialogue," Brian Burch told reporters.
Brian Burch said Rubio was coming "in that spirit, to have a frank conversation about US policy, to engage in dialogue". He rejected the idea of "some deep rift" between Washington and the Vatican.
The aim, Brian Burch said, was for both sides to "better understand each other, and to work through, if there are differences, certainly to talk through that".
Organised after Trump's April attack on Leo, the trip coincides with the first anniversary of his papacy. Trump had called the pope weak and said he wasn't doing a very good job as pontiff.
Trump also shared an AI-generated image depicting himself as Christ. He later deleted it and said it had actually portrayed him as a doctor. The episode formed part of the earlier dispute that Rubio's visit is intended to ease.
Meloni dispute widens Rubio's diplomatic task in Italy
Rubio will also meet the Vatican's secretary of state, Pietro Parolin, before talks with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni and Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani on Friday morning.
Repairing relations with Italy is another part of the mission. Meloni, previously one of Trump's closest European allies, criticised his remarks against Leo. Trump then berated her, rebuked her government for not supporting the strikes on Iran and threatened to withdraw US troops from Italy.
US vice-president JD Vance, a Catholic convert, has also criticised the pontiff. JD Vance said the Vatican should "stick to matters of morality" and that Leo should be careful when talking about theology and war.
Both Rubio and Vance attended the pope's inauguration in May last year. They had a private audience with him the following day and handed him an invitation from Trump to visit the White House. Leo hasn't taken up that invitation.
The itinerary now brings together two disputes arising from the same war: Washington's disagreement with the pope over its military campaign, and its clash with an Italian ally that defended him. Rubio will address both during the visit.
Thursday's meeting will give Rubio and Leo an opportunity to discuss those differences directly. But Trump's renewed accusation that the pope is endangering Catholics has sharpened the disagreement just before their talks. The Vatican audience, followed by Friday's meetings in Italy, will show whether the administration's diplomatic outreach can ease tensions its president has again brought into full public view.
Originally reported by The Guardian. View original.