Trump pays tribute to Pope Francis despite pontiff’s criticism of policies

President Donald Trump paid tribute to Pope Francis successful a station connected TruthSocial arsenic quality of the pontiff’s decease emerged.

The precocious Pope, who was calved successful the Argentine superior of Buenos Aires arsenic Jorge Mario Bergoglio, antecedently condemned the U.S. President’s stance connected migration during his archetypal word successful bureau successful 2016.

Trump released a connection connected the Pope's death, hours aft the Vatican declared the news.

“Rest successful Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and each who loved him!“ helium wrote connected his societal media platform.

Vice President JD Vance, who had concisely met with Pope Francis connected Easter Sunday, was the archetypal to contented a connection from India, wherever he’s connected a diplomatic ngo alongside his wife, Usha.

“I conscionable learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My bosom goes retired to the millions of Christians each implicit the satellite who loved him,” Vance wrote connected X aboriginal Monday.

“I was blessed to spot him yesterday, though helium was evidently precise ill. But I’ll ever retrieve him for the beneath homily helium gave successful the precise aboriginal days of COVID. It was truly rather beautiful.”

“May God remainder his soul,” helium added.

The vice president had been successful Europe visiting the Pope conscionable hours earlier astatine the Domus Santa Marta "to speech Easter greetings," the Vatican said.

Vance, who converted to Catholicism successful 2019, antecedently engaged successful an "exchange of opinions" with Vatican officials implicit migration and the Trump administration’s plans to deport migrants en masse.

Trump, however, had antecedently been a vocal professional of Pope Francis aft the pontiff criticized the president’s determination to physique a borderline partition with Mexico successful 2016.

At the time, the Pope declared that "a idiosyncratic who thinks lone astir gathering walls [...] and not of gathering bridges, is not Christian.”

Trump had declared his tendency to deport astir 11 cardinal undocumented immigrants from the US, and contempt identifying arsenic a "proud Christian", helium blamed Mexico for the Pope's remarks, calling the then-79-year-old’s words "disgraceful,” according to a Facebook station successful February 2016.

“For a spiritual person to question a person’s religion is disgraceful. I americium arrogant to beryllium a Christian and arsenic President, I volition not let Christianity to beryllium consistently attacked and weakened, dissimilar what is happening now, with our existent President.

“No leader, particularly a spiritual leader, should person the close to question different man’s religion oregon faith. They are utilizing the Pope arsenic a pawn and they should beryllium ashamed of themselves for doing so, particularly erstwhile truthful galore lives are progressive and erstwhile amerciable migration is truthful rampant,” said Trump.

Equally, conscionable days aft Pope Francis succeeded Pope Benedict XVI, Trump lambasted papal etiquette, penning successful March 2013: “I don’t similar seeing the Pope lasting astatine the checkout antagonistic (front desk) of a edifice successful bid to wage his bill. It’s not Pope-like!”

Francis’ predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, resigned from the papacy connected February 28, 2013, citing property and sick health. He died successful December 2022 astatine the property of 95.

However, Trump argued astatine the clip that his resignation was unnecessary, writing: “The Pope should not person resigned — helium should person lived it out. It hurts him, it hurts the church…”

Upon being selected to instrumentality the reins, Trump spoke connected Pope Francis’ appointment, writing: “Congratulations to my Catholic friends connected the enactment of Pope Francis I to pb the Catholic Church. People that cognize him emotion him!”

Trump visited the Vatican successful March 2017 and said Pope Francis was “a humble man, precise overmuch similar me, which astir apt explains wherefore I similar him truthful much!”

The White House posted a abbreviated commemorative connection connected X pursuing the news, captioned “Rest successful Peace, Pope Francis,” moments aft JD Vance issued a statement, posting pictures of Trump's 2017 sojourn on with Vance’s Sunday.