- Pope Leo has dismissed Donald Trump's unsubstantiated claim that the pontiff is “endangering Catholics” by supporting Iran's nuclear programme.
- Trump alleged that the Pope believes “it’s fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon”, without providing any evidence for the claim.
- The Pope, without naming Trump, said that the Catholic Church has consistently opposed all nuclear weapons, adding: “If someone wants to criticise me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so truthfully.”
- The dispute comes ahead of a meeting between the Pope and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expected to involve a "frank conversation" about the Trump administration's policies.
- This is not the first clash between the pair, as Trump previously criticised the Pope as "weak on crime" and “terrible for foreign policy”.
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