US President Donald Trump, President Droupadi Murmu, and some other global leaders have arrived in Vatican City to pay respects at the funeral of Pope Francis, a person with whom Trump frequently engaged in contentious public exchanges concerning matters such as immigration, climate change, and leadership principles.
Trump, who was joined by First Lady Melania Trump, arrived in Rome late Friday and said he was attending the funeral ‘out of respect’ for the deceased pope, who died on Monday at 88 after a long battle with various illnesses. The funeral is taking place at St. Peter’s Basilica, with a private burial to be conducted at St. Mary Major Basilica.
In spite of tensions in Francis’ lifetime, Trump had warm words for him, describing him as a ‘good man’ who ‘worked hard’ and ‘loved the world’. He also directed American flags to be flown at half-mast in the pope’s honor, saying, “He loved the world, and he especially loved people that were having a hard time and that’s good with me.”
Years of Tension between Trump and Pope
Trump’s and Francis’ disagreements were well publicized even before Trump took office. Immigration was one of their key areas of disagreement. Trump, during his presidential campaign in 2016, vowed to construct a wall along the US-Mexico border to stem illegal immigration. Pope Francis reacted by saying, as reported by AP, that ‘anyone who constructs walls is not Christian’.
In return, Trump described the pope’s remark as ‘disgraceful’ and, in a campaign statement, intimated that if ISIS attacked the Vatican, Francis would have ‘only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been President’.
During Trump’s presidency, Pope Francis continued to criticize his immigration policy, against mass deportations and measures like separating migrant children along the border. In 2019, the pope cautioned that leaders who close borders would ‘become prisoners of the walls that they build’.
Climate change was another source of regular conflict. Even in his last few months, Francis deplored Trump’s plans. In January, he denounced Trump’s immigration plans as a ‘disgrace’. In February, he issued a warning to American Catholic bishops against mass deportations, pointing out they would ‘end badly’.
Interestingly, Francis was also critical of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and urged Catholic voters to choose between her and Trump as the ‘lesser of two evils’ because of the former’s stance on abortion rights.
Watch Live Updates of Pope Francis’ Funeral:
World Leaders to Attend the Funeral
Several foreign leaders from France, Spain, Argentina, the UK, and Hungary will attend the funeral. Former US President Joe Biden, who is a devout Catholic, is one of the high-profile attendees. Asked if he would speak with Biden, Trump said, “It’s not high on my list. It’s really not.”
Both former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush have chosen not to come, and Bill Clinton’s office did not comment on enquiries.
No Official Diplomatic Meetings
Initially, Trump hinted he might hold diplomatic meetings on the sidelines of the funeral. However, he later reconsidered, stating aboard Air Force One, “Frankly, it’s a little disrespectful to have meetings when you’re at the funeral of a pope.” He added, “I’ll be talking to people. I’ll be seeing a lot of people.”
Any talks, Trump said, would be short and casual, perhaps at Villa Taverna, the US ambassador’s residence in Rome, before he was due to return to the United States.
Soon after arriving in Rome, Trump took to Truth Social, calling on Russia and Ukraine to seek ‘very high-level talks’ to resolve their ongoing conflict. He added that his representative, Steve Witkoff, had already met with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier that day and stated both sides were ‘very close to a deal’.
