Pope Francis Criticizes Donald Trump | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Pope Francis Criticizes Donald Trump

“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian”

7
Pope Francis Criticizes Donald Trump
UCatholic

As I scrolled through my Facebook newsfeed last Thursday, I came across a Catholic Meme (yes, they are a thing) shared by a friend of mine. “Brace yourself” it said, “Pope Francis gave an interview on the airplane again”. Immediately, I was intrigued. The last time the Pope gave an interview on a plane, it was on his return flight from Philadelphia to Rome in September 2015, and he touched on such provocative topics such as annulment and conscientious objection. Pope Francis was returning from his first trip to Mexico, where, among other things, he had visited the U.S./Mexico border and blessed undocumented immigrants. Whatever he had to say on the plane, it was going to be good.

And sure enough, Pope Francis did not let us down. When a reporter asked the Pope what he thought of Trump, Pope Francis said “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” referring to Trump’s notoriously hard stance against immigration and his plan to build a wall separating the U.S. from Mexico. While the Pope did not outright condemn Trump, nor did he endorse any other presidential candidates, he made it very clear who he wasn’t endorsing.

But it gets better. Apparently, Donald Trump, who has managed to offend the majority of America, was offended by the Pope’s comments. “For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful”, Trump said in a press release. As he read directly from his script, eyes glued to the paper (my Public Speaking teacher would have been horrified by his form), Trump seemed indignant at the Pope’s remarks.

The saga did not end there. By Friday, Trump had tried to smooth the conflict over. At a GOP town hall meeting in South Carolina, Trump first insinuated that the Pope’s comments were the product of his meeting with the Mexican government, saying that he had only considered one side of the story. He then moved on to compare the wall he plans to build between Mexico and the U.S. to the wall surrounding the Vatican- although the moderator quickly pointed out that people come and go relatively freely through the wall surrounding the Vatican. Finally, he said that he “didn’t like fighting with the Pope”, and announced that he thought the Pope’s comments were not nearly as harsh as what the media initially reported.

Donald Trump, in his first press release responding to the Pope’s comments, stated he was proud to be a Christian. The Pope stated that Trump was not a Christian because of his plan to exclude people from the country. Although Trump responded to the Pope’s accusations, he did not address the human aspect that drove the Pope to take a stance against Trump and his wall. He addressed the Pope’s comments on the grounds that the Pope had spoken against him, but did not try to negate Pope Francis’ main point: that Trump was trying to divide people rather than connect them, and that he was trying to exclude and alienate people rather than help them. Christians are called to do the opposite of what Trump has endorsed thus far in his campaign. Christians are called to welcome people, and to help those in need. As a Catholic myself, I agree with Pope Francis: those who seek to build walls where they could build bridges are not Christian, regardless of whether they, like Trump, believe themselves to be.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

1072
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

16005
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

3332
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments