Pope Francis to pray for Trump to be granted wisdom
Photo: Pope Francis (Getty Images)
Pope Francis sent his well-wishes to US President-elect Donald Trump in a traditional message ahead of the presidential inauguration ceremony in Washington, informs Reuters.
The Pontiff, who had previously voiced sharp disagreement with Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric, stated that he would pray for God to grant Trump "wisdom, strength, and protection" as he assumes the presidency once again.
"It is my hope that under your leadership the American people will prosper and always strive to build a more just society, where there is no room for hatred, discrimination or exclusion," said the Pope.
The Pope's congratulatory note arrived the day after Francis stated that Trump’s plan to significantly tighten immigration control measures across the US would be a "disgrace."
In an interview with Italian television, the Pontiff criticized Trump’s plan in unusually harsh terms for the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church.
"it makes the poor wretches who have nothing to pay the unpaid bill," the Pope said. "It won’t do. This is not the way to solve things."
Francis, who has led the Catholic Church with its 1.4 billion members since 2013, has in recent years used unusually sharp language in criticizing Trump.
During the 2016 election campaign, Francis said Trump was "not Christian" because of his views on immigration.
Donald Trump plans the largest deportation in the country’s history immediately after his inauguration on January 20.
On January 18, Trump administration representatives announced that the President-elect was reviewing his plans for immigration raids in Chicago following reports of these plans.
