“Rest in peace, Pope Francis. May God grant you peace” – President Donald Trump mourns the death of Pope Francis

“Rest in peace, Pope Francis. May God grant you peace” – President Donald Trump mourns the death of Pope Francis

Dhaka, April 21, 2025 – Former U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his condolences on the death of Pope Francis. In a post on the Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump wrote: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God bless him and all who loved him!”

Trump and Pope Francis first met in 2017 at the Vatican during Trump’s first term in office. Trump was accompanied by his wife Melania Trump, daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner, and then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. After shaking hands with the Pope, Trump said, “Thank you. It’s a great honor for me.” They then held a private meeting that lasted about 30 minutes.

However, their relationship was not always cordial. There were longstanding disagreements between Pope Francis and Trump, particularly on issues of immigration and environmental policy.

In 2019, the Pope remarked, “Builders of walls, whether of barbed wire or bricks, will eventually become prisoners of the walls they build.” This was widely interpreted as a pointed criticism of Trump’s border wall policy.

In 2016, Pope Francis also commented, “Anyone who builds a wall to keep immigrants out is not a Christian.” Trump responded by saying, “For a religious leader to question someone’s faith is disgraceful.”

Even in 2025, Pope Francis continued to criticize Trump’s immigration policies. In a letter, he stated that forcibly removing people simply because of their immigration status is a violation of human dignity and “will end badly.”

Former Trump administration immigration official Tom Homan reacted sharply to the Pope’s comments. In a February interview with Fox News, Homan said, “I’m a lifelong Catholic, but I have harsh words for the Pope – he should focus on his own work and let us handle law enforcement. Isn’t there a wall around the Vatican?”

While Trump’s tribute to Pope Francis reflects a message of mourning, the resurfacing of these past controversies has reignited discussions about the complex dynamics between political leaders and religious authorities. Time will tell how these events shape the future of global politics and religious leadership.