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Trump calls pope’s criticism of him ‘disgraceful’

By AFP
18 February 2016   |   6:42 pm
Donald Trump on Thursday called remarks by Pope Francis "disgraceful," after the pontiff argued the Republican White House hopeful could not claim to be a Christian based on his anti-immigrant stance. "For a religious leader to question a person's faith is disgraceful," Trump said in a statement that he read out to a crowd at…
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reads from a statement about Pope Francis during a campaign rally in Kiawah, South Carolina, February 17, 2016. Trump cannot claim to be a Christian, Pope Francis said Thursday, after the billionaire vowed to build a border wall to keep out immigrants. "Anyone, whoever he is, who only wants to build walls and not bridges is not a Christian," the pontiff told journalists during his return journey from a trip to Mexico in response to a question about Trump's anti-immigrant stance. / AFP / JIM WATSON

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reads from a statement about Pope Francis during a campaign rally in Kiawah, South Carolina, February 17, 2016.<br />Trump cannot claim to be a Christian, Pope Francis said Thursday, after the billionaire vowed to build a border wall to keep out immigrants. “Anyone, whoever he is, who only wants to build walls and not bridges is not a Christian,” the pontiff told journalists during his return journey from a trip to Mexico in response to a question about Trump’s anti-immigrant stance. / AFP / JIM WATSON

Donald Trump on Thursday called remarks by Pope Francis “disgraceful,” after the pontiff argued the Republican White House hopeful could not claim to be a Christian based on his anti-immigrant stance.

“For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful,” Trump said in a statement that he read out to a crowd at a campaign stop in South Carolina, which holds its primary vote on Saturday.

“I am proud to be a Christian and as president I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened.”

The comments framed an extraordinary public exchange between a candidate and the leader of the Roman Catholic church in the run up to a US presidential election.

Francis issues his remarks after concluding a five-day trip to Mexico, where he delivered a mass before 300,000 people near the US border and decried the “human tragedy” of migrants fleeing violence worldwide.

In a highly symbolic gesture the pontiff climbed a ramp facing the Rio Grande and looked out across the border into US territory, where hundreds of migrants waved at him.

Trump, the brash real estate magnate, has vowed to build a wall on the US southern border to keep migrants from illegally crossing into the United States, a pledge that has caused a firestorm in the presidential campaign where immigration is a hot-button issue.

“Anyone, whoever he is, who only wants to build walls and not bridges is not a Christian,” the pontiff told journalists during his return journey from Mexico, in response to a question about Trump’s anti-immigrant stance.

Trump’s reaction was notable for its tone against a global religious figure.

“If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which as everyone knows is ISIS’s ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president because this would not have happened,” Trump said, referring to the Islamic State extremist group controlling wide swathes of Syria and Iraq.

Trump said Mexican authorities told the pope only “one side of the story.”

“He didn’t see the crime, the drug trafficking and the negative economic impact the current policies have on the United States,” Trump said.

“They are using the Pope as a pawn and they should be ashamed of themselves for doing so, especially when so many lives are involved and when illegal immigration is so rampant.”

11 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    It is the end of the road for Donald Trump.No one ever challenges the pope without getting burnt. How can he dare over 70 million Catholics in the US and hope to become president?

    • Author’s gravatar

      American politics may not be as simple as that.

    • Author’s gravatar

      Yep. Mr. Trump is about to get a free lesson in POLITICS. Trump has the political sense of an 8th-grader running for class president. Now he’s going to see how it’s done when the Ferula takes the stage… 😉

    • Author’s gravatar

      It just dnt happen like tht in American politics dude…The pope also shld ve traded diplomatically in this illegal immigrants case. Look at Europe today,Arab migrants issues in cologne Germany ,France ,etc…Americans do not hv absolute good relationship wit d roman catholics like tht too….Fact

      • Author’s gravatar

        What are you talking about? American Catholics listen to the Vatican and would not condone anybody daring the pope.I live and vote here in the US. I have also worked in the campaigns. I can bait you now that Trump would never be the US President even if he apologizes. He has damaged his campaign with his wild utterances.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Trump retains my support. Religion and politics should not be mixed.

  • Author’s gravatar

    I’ll vote for Trump. Trump is a man of the moment.

  • Author’s gravatar

    When something is illegal it means it’s wrong, so the Pope should have been careful in his statement. He bargained for what he got. Remember, he is not God and standing up to him isn’t the same as standing up to God.

    • Author’s gravatar

      When something is illegal it means it must be brought within legal standards. The Holy Father merely pointed-out that Mr. Trump’s plan to achieve that is inconsistent with the teachings of Christ. In that capacity the Pontiff’s opinion is “infallible”. Trump is free to disagree about Earthly implications, and voice his personal opinions of the Pope. But when speaking on matters of faith, the Pope cannot be “wrong”… o;)