Pope Francis Attacks Donald Trump Over Travel Ban

Pope Francis has slyly attacked Donald Trump in response to the 45th President of the United States’ recent executive orders banning certain refugees and immigrants from entering the country.

Pope Francis made these comments as part of his monthly YouTube series entitled The Pope Video. After announcing his prayer intentions for February, as well as confirming that the theme for the month was for Catholics to “welcome the needy,” Pope Francis asked Catholics to pray that the “poor, refugees, and marginalized” would find “welcome and comfort in our communities.”

These comments came just a few days after Donald Trump signed an executive order that restricted the number of foreign nationals and refugees that are allowed into the United States Of America. Pope Francis then really turned his attention to Donald Trump, as he mentioned “skyscrapers” and “real estate deals,” both of which Trump is intrinsically associated with.

“We live in cities that throw up skyscrapers and shopping centers and strike big real estate deals but they abandon a part of themselves to marginal settlements on the periphery. The result of this situation is that great sections of the population are excluded and marginalized: without a job, without options, without a way out. Don’t abandon them.”

This isn’t the first time that the Catholic Church has made reference to Donald Trump’s actions since he signed the Executive Order.

On Wednesday, the Archbishop Angelo Becciu confirmed to TV2000, via the Huffington Post, that Pope Francis is indeed worried about the President’s actions.

“Certainly there is worry because we are messengers of another culture, that of openness. Pope Francis, in fact, insists on the ability to integrate those who arrive in our societies and cultures.”

Various other members of the Church have been quick in their condemnation of Donald Trumps actions, especially as Bishops and other members of the clergy have previously looked to help refugees find new homes and build lives in different countries.

Pope Francis had been hoping to forge a friendlier relationship with the President. Francis even sent a message to Donald Trump to commemorate his Inauguration on January 20th, which detailed how he hoped the President could bring the world together during his time in power.

“At at time when our human family is beset by grave humanitarian crises demanding far-sighted and united political responses, I pray that your decisions will be guided by the rich spiritual and ethical values that have shaped the history of the American people and your nations’ commitment to the advancement of human dignity and freedom worldwide. Under your leadership, may America’s stature continue to be measured above all by its concern for the poor, the outcast and those in need.”

This isn’t the first time that Pope Francis has voiced his concerns about Donald Trump.

Back in February, 2016, Pope Francis told a plane full of reporters, including those from NBC News, that Donald Trump’s now infamous plea to build a wall to keep Mexicans out of the USA wasn’t Christian.

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

Donald Trump reacted furiously to Pope Francis’ comments, as he uploaded a lengthy post to his website that even mentioned a possible ISIS attack on the Vatican and was heavily critical of Pope Francis for questioning Donald Trump’s Catholicism.

“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. For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful. I am proud to be a Christian and as President I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened, unlike what is happening now, with our current President. No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith.”

[Featured Image by Getty/Franco Origlia]