Archbishop Charles Scicluna said Monday he is deeply perturbed by the unrestrained and unjustifiable attack on the Holy Father by the President of the United States.
Scicluna issued a statement after Donald Trump delivered an extraordinary broadside against Pope Leo XIV on Sunday night, saying he didn't think the U.S.-born global leader of the Catholic Church is "doing a very good job" and that "he's a very liberal person," while also suggesting the pontiff should "stop catering to the Radical Left."
In his statement, Scicluna said Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed the consistent position of the Church throughout history when he said: "War divides; hope unites. Arrogance tramples upon others; love lifts up. Idolatry blinds us; the living God enlightens."
The Holy Father spoke the unadulterated truth when he insisted that the Church will always promote peace "even when rejecting the logic of war may lead to misunderstanding and scorn".
The Pope spoke with a deep sense of humanity when he appealed to global leaders to "listen to the voices of children" whose lives have been irrevocably changed by the horror and inhumanity of actions that "some adults have boasted of with pride".
In these challenging times, it is of paramount importance that these cornerstone principles are promoted and defended, not derided and diminished.
The Archbishop said he has conveyed his concerns on this matter to the US Ambassador to Malta and assured her that the Church in Malta stands with the Holy Father.
The Bishop of Gozo, Anton Teuma, also issued a statement in support of Pope Leo.