Trump accuses pope of ‘endangering a lot of Catholics’ with Iran stance

Key Points:

• Former US President Donald Trump accused Pope Leo XIV of endangering Catholics by allegedly supporting Iran having nuclear weapons, a claim the pope has never made, instead advocating for ceasefires and dialogue in the Middle East.
• Trump's comments come ahead of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's scheduled meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican, aimed at easing tensions caused by Trump's earlier criticisms of the pontiff and his stance on the US-Israeli war on Iran.
• US Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch described Rubio's visit as an opportunity for frank dialogue to address policy differences and denied there was a deep rift between the US and the Vatican.
• Rubio's trip also includes efforts to mend relations with the Italian government after Trump criticized Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for opposing his remarks about the pope and threatened to withdraw US troops from Italy.
• US Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, has also criticized Pope Leo, urging the Vatican to focus on morality and cautioning the pope on discussing theology and war.