New Delhi, Apr 15 (UNI) Amid his continued feud with the Vatican, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday renewed attack on Pope Leo saying Iran had killed at least 42,000 innocent protestors during the past two months and therefore, should not possess a nuclear weapon.
'Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months,' Trump said on his social media platform.
In that case Iran having a Nuclear Bomb is 'absolutely unacceptable,' he said.
The renewed attack on Pope Leo (born in the US) came a day after President Trump, following massive backlash, withdrew from his social media platform an AI generated picture of himself in Papal robes as if having descended from heavens, and curing a sick man.
Trump's insult to the Pope came after he (Pope Leo) said during evening prayers at St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on Saturday that a 'delusion of omnipotence' surrounded the Iran war.
'Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life,' the Pontiff said.
Trump retaliated, saying "Pope Leo is weak on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy…I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon."
US Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic, defended Trump asking the Pope to 'stick to matters of morality.'
“It would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of what’s going on in the Catholic church and let the President of the United States stick to dictating American public policy,” Vance said in an interview with Fox News.
Pope Leo said he did not fear the Trump administration and would continue to “speak strongly” against war, and for peace.
Vance said in the interview that President Trump has the 'prerogative to set American foreign policy. He has to look out for the interests of the United States of America, and that inevitably means that when the Vatican comments on issues of public policy, sometimes there’s going to be agreement and sometimes disagreement.'
UNI RB 1033