Trump will attend Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome despite contentious past
President Trump announced on Monday that he and First Lady Melania Trump will be attending the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican, despite their somewhat contentious history with the late leader of the Catholic Church. Traditionally, papal funerals take place four to six days following the death of the Pope, so Francis’s funeral is expected to take place before the end of the month. Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni stated that the General Congregation of Cardinals will occur on Tuesday morning to decide the exact date for the funeral.
In a social media post on Truth Social, Trump stated, “Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome. We look forward to being there!” This announcement came after Trump ordered all American flags on government grounds, including military installations and embassies abroad, to fly at half-staff until sunset on Monday as a sign of respect for the late Pope.
The relationship between Trump and Pope Francis was marked by ideological differences and occasional tension. During Trump’s first presidential campaign, Pope Francis criticized his promise to build a wall along the southern border, calling it “not Christian.” Trump responded by calling the Pope’s remarks “disgraceful” and questioning the Pope’s faith.
Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis also criticized increasing nationalistic sentiments and climate change denial, positions that clashed with Trump’s “America First” agenda and his decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accords. Despite these differences, Trump and Pope Francis met only once during Trump’s first term, in contrast to President Joe Biden, who met with the Pope multiple times during his presidency.
Trump’s Vice President, J.D. Vance, who is Catholic, was one of the Pope’s last visitors, seeing him on Easter Sunday, just one day before Francis passed away. The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on Trump’s attendance at the Pope’s funeral.
As Trump and Melania prepare to pay their respects to Pope Francis, their attendance at the funeral will be a significant moment in their relationship with the late Pontiff and the Catholic Church.
