Rome(May 24, 2017): Pope Francis has welcomed US President Donald Trump at the Vatican, in a meeting that comes against a backdrop of disagreements on a range of issues, including immigration, climate change and refugee policy.
The two men’s worldviews collided head-on early last year, when Francis was sharply critical of Trump’s election campaign pledge to build an impenetrable wall on the Mexican border and his declaration that the United States should turn away Muslim immigrants and refugees.
“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Francis said at the time. The pontiff has been a vocal advocate for immigrants and aiding refugees, particularly those fleeing the violence in Syria, deeming it both a “moral imperative” and “Christian duty” to help.
However, Trump will be given a tour of the Vatican after he arrives and will then first meet with the pope in his library. The two men will then be left alone with a translator to hold a private discussion before emerging again to exchange gifts and farewells.
The visit to the Vatican is part of Trump’s first foreign trip as US president, and comes after staying in Saudi Arabia, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
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