Promote peace, the pope urges Trump in meeting
Pope Francis urged Donald Trump to use his US presidency to promote peace around the world as the two leaders swapped sparring for smiles in their first face-to-face meeting at the Vatican on Wednesday.
Trump’s audience with the 80-year-old pontiff, a keenly awaited highlight of his first overseas tour, lasted just under half-an-hour.
“He is something,” the president said later of his host. “We had a fantastic meeting.” The Vatican described the discussions as “cordial” and stressed the two men’s joint opposition to abortion and shared concern for persecuted Christians in the Middle East.
There was no mention from either side of the two men’s profound differences on climate change, migration, the death penalty and other issues. Trump told his host as he left: “Thank you. Thank you. I won’t forget what you said.”
The pope had presented Trump with a medallion engraved with an olive tree, the international symbol of peace.
“I give it to you so you can be an instrument of peace,” he said in Spanish. “We can use peace,” Trump replied.
Trump presented the pope with several gifts including a collection of first editions by Martin Luther King and a bronze sculpture. Francis gave Trump copies of the three major texts he has published as pope, including one on the environment that urges the industrialised world to curb carbon emissions or risk catastrophic consequences for the planet.
Trump, who has threatened to ignore the Paris accords on emissions and described global warming as a hoax, vowed to read them.
A Vatican statement highlighted “the joint commitment in favour of life, and freedom of worship and conscience”.
Trump has pleased the Catholic hierarchy by axing rules protecting tax-funded financing of family planning clinics that offer abortions.