A swipe at Trump? Pope calls for “moderation” and “respect”

The Pope said he hoped the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence would be an occasion for a “solemn renewal of commitment” to the founding ideals of the USA. The USA celebrates the 250th anniversary of its independence from Great Britain on Saturday. Leo, 70, also highlighted how “successive waves of immigrants” have shaped the country’s future. In the past, the Pope has criticized the crackdown on immigrants in the United States.

Trump then described the pontiff in April as “weak” when it comes to fighting crime and “terrible” when it comes to foreign policy. The Pope said he was not afraid of Trump. Trump also reacted angrily to the Pope’s calls for peace and, with regard to Iran, accused him of aligning himself with a country “that wants a nuclear weapon.”