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On the wall of the back room of an optician’s in Borgo Pio, a neighbourhood in Rome that borders the Vatican, hang the photos of five popes dating back to the late 1970s, charting both the recent history of Catholic church leaders and the shop itself.
As its owner, Walter Colantini, who fitted glasses for one of the pontiffs, gestured towards them, he recalled the diplomatic strain between the Vatican and White House over the 1991 Gulf war.
But, he said, nothing compared to the rupture provoked by Donald Trump in response to Pope Leo’s criticisms of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
In a tirade on social media, Trump said Leo, the first ever US pontiff, was “weak on crime” and “terrible on foreign policy” and was only elected pope because Trump himself was in the White House. Trump then shared an AI-generated image of himself depicted as Christ-like before deleting it.
“Trump is off the wall, he has no limits,” said Colantini.
It is a sentiment shared by fellow shopkeepers in Borgo Pio, who have a long history of providing services to the Vatican, as they struggle to absorb the deterioration in its relations with Washington. Trump’s outburst was followed by the US vice-president, JD Vance, a Catholic, telling Fox News the Vatican should “stick to morality” and church affairs and let the president “stick to dictating US public policy”.
Raniero Mancinelli, a tailor who produces ecclesiastical robes and jewellery, said: “The issue with Trump is that we don’t know what he is thinking or doing from one day to the next. He is saying and doing very strange things. When he was elected, he spoke about peace and ending wars, instead the world is in this very worrying situation.”
People visiting St Peter’s Square on Tuesday were also troubled by the clash and expressed solidarity with Leo.
“Trump has crossed every moral border, but I am no longer surprised,” said Andries DeWinter, a choir director from Belgium. “He insisted on making America great again, but instead he’s sinking it. Pope Leo, on the other hand, speaks with truth, value and meaning – the total opposite to Trump.”
Rhoda, a visitor from the UK, said: “Trump is just out for himself. I think Leo is great and I just hope he keeps standing up to him.”
However, two US Catholics who the Guardian spoke to said that while they respected the pope and the church, they supported Trump. “We want peace but we believe he’s making the world safe,” said Susan. “He is a little arrogant, but that’s just the way he is.”
Leo, considered more mild-mannered and tactful than his often hasty and divisive predecessor, Francis, was elected pope in May last year and since then has moved from careful stewardship, such as urging ceasefires and diplomacy to end wars, to striking a bolder moral tone.
He has increasingly condemned the US-Israeli war in Iran and wider conflict in the Middle East, especially after Trump’s threat last week to wipe out “a whole civilisation” in Iran.
The church’s cardinals have also made harsh criticisms. In an interview with CBS on Monday night, Trump confirmed he lashed out at Leo after watching an interview with three influential US cardinals on the networks’s 60 Minutes who called out Trump’s policies and backed up Leo’s remarks. “He’s wrong on the issues,” Trump said. “I don’t think he should be getting into politics. I think he probably learned that from this.”
But Leo is not expected to back down. In response to Trump’s verbal attack, he said he did not fear the US administration and would continue to speak out against war.
The clash generated widespread solidarity towards the pontiff from European politicians across the spectrum. Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, one of Trump’s main allies in Europe, said the president’s remarks towards Leo were “unacceptable”. In response, in an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Tuesday, Trump said Meloni was the one who was “unacceptable” due to her unwillingness to join the Iran war. “I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” he said.
It has taken some Italian Catholics time to get used to Leo, especially after the era of Francis, who was admired for his humble yet charismatic demeanour. “But Leo has been a good pope so far, very calm,” said Mancinelli.
Colantani said Leo differed in style from his predecessor, but was possibly more effective. “Leo was chosen for the role because he’s the right person to lead the church during this period,” he said. “He needs to act in order to find peace in a world where there is war. I really like him; from what he says in his declarations and homilies, he’s a pope who uses his brain.”
