(LifeSiteNews) — Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, vice-dean of the College of Cardinals, publicly rebuked President Donald Trump Wednesday following his attacks on Pope Leo XIV, saying the president “has gone too far” with comments he described as “nonsense.”

In an interview with Italian Newspaper La Repubblica, Sandri defended Pope Leo against recent verbal attacks by Trump.

He criticized the current president’s choice of words, recalling that his predecessor Bush, while ignoring calls for peace by Pope John Paul II during the Iraq War in 2003, “did not talk nonsense.”

Sandri said that Pope Leo’s words were “in a different dimension” from Trump’s political remarks and that the Pontiff will continue to advocate for peace.

When asked about Trump’s motives, the vice-dean said, “I cannot judge the president’s thoughts. I believe he has gone too far with his reflections and opinions. Of course, the Holy Father has our full solidarity and communion.”

He also responded to criticism coming from the Trump administration that the Pope should keep out of politics.

The cardinal said that the Pope does indeed address moral issues, and peace is one of them. While the Vatican does not interfere in party political affairs, the issue of peace directly concerns human coexistence, he argued.

READ: Democrats could benefit from Trump and Leo’s feud, Catholic authors warn

Sandri said he believes relations between the Holy See and the United States could improve despite current tensions. There is a strong Christian presence in the U.S., and “people come and go, but the values remain,” he stated.

Over the weekend, Trump had described the Pope as “weak on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.” Trump published a statement on Truth Social attacking what he sees as Pope Leo XIV’s positions on crime, foreign policy, and U.S. leadership, explicitly referencing the Pope’s meeting at the Vatican with David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, presenting that encounter as evidence of political alignment with figures he described as hostile to his administration.

Trump also criticized Leo for his calls for peace amid the Iran war, saying, “Leo doesn’t understand it.”

The Pope responded to the attack by saying, “I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly on the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am called to do, what the Church is called to do.”