“Melania and I will be [w nim] Participate ” – with these words US President Donald Trump on Easter Monday confirmed his presence at the funeral of Pope Francis. The journey of the American leader to Italy had previously in question due to his tense relations with the head of the Catholic Church.
For this reason, irony is the fact that Trump will go to Rome on the first foreign journey during its second term. In recent years, the US President has repeatedly been an object of acute criticism from the Pope. In particular, the thorn in the side of Francis was in particular the hard refugee and migration policy of the American leader. The death of Pope Francis once again reminded the world how the relationship between them was tense.
“You can't imagine more different leaders than Trump and Francis, literally in every respect,” notes Catholicism expert John Carr from the University of Georgetown in Washington. – Ego instead of humility, focusing on the poor instead of focusing on power, walls instead of bridges.
This distance can already be seen in Trump's first reaction to the death of the head of the Catholic Church. “Rest in peace, Pope Francis! May God bless him and everyone who loved him,” wrote the US president on his Truth Social platform. It is worth noting that this was the whole content of the post, while other heads of countries extensively honored the merits of the deceased Pope.
Trump later announced that the flags in the US will be raised to half the mast. He also described Francis as a “good man” who “worked hard and loved the world.”
Alessandra Tarantino / Pool / Pool / PAP
Pope Francis with US President Donald Trump and his wife Melaniia during their meeting in the Vatican, May 24, 2017.
The tension between Trump and the Pope born in Argentina have a long history. Already during the US President's election campaign in 2016. Franciszek, sharply and surprisingly, criticized the right -wing populist: – Someone who wants to build walls instead of bridges is not a Christian – said the leader of the Catholic Church during a return trip from a visit to Mexico.
It was a clear reference to Trump's controversial plans regarding the construction of a border wall between the USA and Mexico. Trump then described the Pope's comments as “shameful”.
Mass deportations
In February – when Trump moved into the White House for the second time – the Pope in a letter to American bishops He sharply criticized the Republican's plans regarding the mass deportation of migrants.
– Francis emphasized in the letter.
An official of the White House for Deportation, called “Tsar from the border”, Tom Homan said that the Pope should look after the Catholic Church and not interfere in the border policy of the US government.
It is worth noting that Trump describes himself as a Christian, although he is not associated with any confession. When he survived the attempt during the election campaign last year, he stated that God “saved” him to stop the fall of the USA. Ulkonservative Evangelical Christians are an important support group for Trump, and in the November presidential election he also gained the support of most Catholic voters.
Nevertheless, Trump is not considered a deeply religious person, unlike his Catholic predecessor Joe Biden, who has talked about his faith many times. The US president certainly prefers to spend Sundays in the golf course than in the church.
Dispute with JD Vance
For Deputy Trump, JD Vance, who switched to Catholicism in 2019, religion has a higher priority. Vance even used the theological doctrine of “Ordo Amoris) to justify the cancellation of a large part of American foreign help. Christians should first think about his family, and only then about strangers living thousands of kilometers away, he argued.
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This position, however, met with opposition from the Pope himself. The “real” order of love means building a community open to all “without exception”, wrote the Pope to American bishops. Just a day before his death, the Pope accepted the US Vice President on a short private audience.
Now Trump, in the company of his wife Melania, will take part in the Saturday funeral of Pope Francis in Rome. As he wrote on the Truth Social platform, he can't wait for this journey. One thing, however, is clear: in Rome he will not say goodbye to a friend.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
