President Donald Trump acknowledged the death of Pope Francis through a brief post on Truth Social, expressing condolences and wishing peace upon the late pontiff. Throughout the years, President Trump and Pope Francis had numerous disagreements on various matters.
Initially, Trump commended Pope Francis’s humility at the beginning of his papacy in 2013. He even likened the Pope’s humble nature to his own in a tweet from December of that year. However, tensions soon arose, particularly during the 2016 presidential campaign when Pope Francis criticized Trump’s proposed plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Canada border, describing it as un-Christian.
The pope stated that a person who focuses solely on constructing barriers rather than bridges does not embody Christian values. In response, Trump, who actively engaged with evangelical leaders and voters, retorted that it was disgraceful for a religious figurehead to challenge someone’s faith. Additionally, Trump claimed that if the Vatican were ever targeted by ISIS, Pope Francis would wish Trump were president to prevent such an event.
In 2017, Trump met with Pope Francis during a visit to the Vatican, where he described their meeting in glowing terms. A photo from the encounter, depicting a smiling Trump next to a serious-looking Pope, garnered significant attention online.
Years later, amidst the immigration policies of Trump’s second administration, Pope Francis issued a public letter to U.S. Catholic bishops. In the letter, Pope Francis criticized the mass deportation efforts as a severe crisis. He argued that while countries have the right to self-defense, their conscience should critically assess measures that equate the undocumented status of migrants with criminality.
The pope’s letter further criticized deportations, stating that they undermine the dignity of individuals and families, leaving them vulnerable. This message seemed to counter comments made by Vice President Vance, himself a Catholic, who suggested prioritizing care for one’s family and community over others. Pope Francis refuted this perspective, emphasizing that Christian love should not be selectively expanded to benefit only certain individuals or groups.
