Pope Francis On President Donald Trump: ‘I Don’t Like To Get Ahead Of Myself’

Pope Francis is adopting a “wait and see” approach when it comes to Donald Trump, who just got inaugurated as the United States’ 45th President on Friday, the Newsweek reports.

The pope said that it would be unwise to form an opinion on Donald Trump this early considering that we still have to see the wealthy businessman turned politician implement policies for the United States. The Holy See likens the act of judging Trump prematurely to “prophets predicting calamities.”

“I think that we must wait and see. I don’t like to get ahead of myself nor judge people prematurely,” the Pope told Spanish newspaper El Pais in an hour-long interview.

Pope Francis has an Inauguration Day message for President Donald Trump https://t.co/wBMIfIATOr

— TIME (@TIME) January 20, 2017

“We will see how he acts, what he does, and then I will have an opinion. But being afraid or rejoicing beforehand because of something that might happen is, in my view, quite unwise. It would be like prophets predicting calamities,” Pope Francis added.

The Pope also sent Trump a message on Friday, sending him his well wishes and prayers that God will bless him with wisdom and strength during his presidency, as reported by Town Hall. He also wished that the 45th U.S. president will be”guided by the rich spiritual and ethical values that have shaped the history of the American people” during his term as the U.S. president.

You can read the full text of the Pope’s letter to Trump below.

“Upon your inauguration as the forty-fifth President of the United States of America, I offer you my cordial good wishes and the assurance of my prayers that Almighty God will grant you wisdom and strength in the exercise of your high office.

“At a time when our human family is beset by grave humanitarian crises demanding farsighted 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 nation’s 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 who, like Lazarus, stand before our door.

“With these sentiments, I ask the Lord to grant you and your family, and all the beloved American people, his blessings of peace, concord and every material and spiritual prosperity.

“FRANCISCUS PP.”

Francis also gave Europeans a warning against the rising tide of populism, reminding them about humanity’s propensity to pin their hopes on a “savior” or a charismatic leader in times of economic and human rights crises, and how that particular dynamic can easily lead to war.

“Crises provoke fear, alarm. In my opinion, the most obvious example of European populism is Germany in 1933… A people that was immersed in a crisis, that looked for its identity until this charismatic leader came and promised to give their identity back, and he gave them a distorted identity, and we all know what happened,” Francis said.

“In times of crisis, we lack judgment, and that is a constant reference for me… That is why I always try to say: talk among yourselves, talk to one another,” the Pope added.

The pontiff reminded Europeans that Hitler “didn’t steal the power,” that the people voted for him because they were so desperate to find a leader who can restore their country’s character.

“And all Germans vote for Hitler. Hitler didn’t steal the power, his people voted for him, and then he destroyed his people.”

During the U.S. presidential campaign Pope Francis said that he can’t consider Donald Trump a true Christian if he pushes through with proposed policies that aim to deport unregistered immigrants and keep foreigners away by building walls around the borders of Mexico.

“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the gospel,” Pope Francis said.

[Featured Images by Franco Origlia/Getty Images]