A private meeting took place at the Vatican on May 24, 2017, when Pope Francis met with U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. This highly anticipated encounter marked the first face-to-face meeting between two world leaders who had previously disagreed on various issues.
President Trump acknowledged the death of Pope Francis through a brief message on Truth Social, stating: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!” Tensions had periodically arisen between Trump and Francis. Initially, Trump praised the pope at the beginning of Francis’s papacy in 2013, years before his presidency. In December of that year, Trump tweeted about his liking for the pope, describing him as a humble man.
However, the relationship soured during the 2016 election when Francis criticized Trump’s proposal to build a wall on the U.S.-Canada border. Francis asserted that focusing solely on building walls rather than bridges was not a Christian approach. Trump, known for courting evangelical Christian leaders and voters, responded by calling the pope’s questioning of his faith disgraceful. He further added that if the Vatican were to be attacked by ISIS, the pope would wish Trump were president, as, according to him, it would prevent such events.
In 2017, Trump visited the Vatican, and following the meeting, described the interaction positively, stating, “He is something. We had a fantastic meeting.” A photograph from the visit, showing a smiling Trump next to Pope Francis, who appeared less enthusiastic, gained considerable attention.
Nearly a decade later, during the second Trump administration, the pope publicly criticized the administration’s immigration policies. In February, a public letter addressed to U.S. Catholic bishops by Francis described the mass deportations as a “major crisis.” He emphasized that while nations have the right to self-defense, a well-informed conscience should critique any measure equating illegal migrant status with criminality. He stated that deporting individuals, often fleeing dire circumstances, compromised their dignity and increased their vulnerability.
The letter also seemed to address remarks made by Vice President Vance about prioritizing care for family, community, and country before others. Pope Francis expressed disagreement with this notion, emphasizing that Christian love should not be limited to gradually expanding interests but should be inclusive of all.
