Mission is to preach peace, says Pope in response to Trump attacks
Pope Leo responded to attacks by US President Donald Trump, saying he hoped to preach the Gospel and about peace, but that anyone was free to criticise him. Trump suggested that he believed that it was okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. The Pope has opposed the US and Israel's war on Iran. The Pope said he would continue to call for peace despite criticism, stating, "The mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel, to preach peace."
Trump told conservative radio talkshow host Hugh Hewitt this week that the Pope was "endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people" because he "thinks it's fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon." Brian Burch, the US ambassador to the Holy See, said this week that despite the recent tensions there was no "deep rift" between the US and the Vatican. The disagreement also led to tensions between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who criticised the war in the Middle East and came to the defence of the Pope. Trump called the Pope "WEAK on crime" and "terrible for Foreign Policy".
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads to the Vatican for a two-day visit this week. The State Department said Rubio would work to "advance bilateral relations" with Italy and the Vatican and discuss "the situation in the Middle East and mutual interests in the Western Hemisphere". Rubio denied that he was going to Italy to smooth over tensions between Trump and the Vatican. Meloni said, "I think so," when asked whether she would meet Rubio this week.
Quick Summary
Pope Leo has responded to attacks by US President Donald Trump amid rising tensions between the pair. The US Secretary of State is now headed to the Vatican - but what could this mean for the future?
Summary - read the full story for complete context.

Image: MyJoyOnline
GhanaFront aggregates news from trusted sources. Click to read the original article.
Keywords
Explore related tagsMore from MyJoyOnline
Related Stories
More from Politics

ECOWAS Court seeks stronger compliance with judgments
The ECOWAS Court is pushing for greater adherence to its rulings, but what stands in the way of full compliance?
2h ago•3 min read

Gov't moves to enforce MP-MMDCE collaboration on DCAF, local development projects
New government protocols are set to redefine how MPs and MMDCEs collaborate on local development and resource management.
2h ago•3 min read

King Charles reveals he paid £12.9m in tax for 2024-25
A new precedent has been set regarding royal financial transparency, prompting questions about the future of monarchical accountability.
4h ago•4 min read

Bosome Freho District Assembly unveils 100 street sweepers to improve sanitation
A Ghanaian district assembly is taking a fresh approach to local sanitation, spurred by a major shift in national policy.
10h ago•2 min read



