On Friday, Feb. 19, 2016 the Vatican spokesperson Federico Lombardi, S.J., answered a question about Pope Francis' comments on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The transcript (in Italian) and was made available by Vatican Radio.
(Translation by Thomas Rosica, C.S.B., the English-language assistant to the Holy See Press Office.)
Interviewer: The Pope emphasized that those who only think of building walls, not bridges, is not Christian. Many have spoken about excommunication, if I may say, against the Republican candidate in the race for the White House, Donald Trump...
Fr. Lombardi: But the Pope said what we all know, when we follow his teaching and his position: that we should not build walls but bridges. He (the Pope) has always said this, continuously, and he has said this said about the issues of migration in Europe, many times. So it is not a specific issue, limited to this case. This is one of [the Pope’s] general attitudes, very consistent with what is a courageous following of the Gospel of welcome and solidarity. Of course, this was then raised, but it is not that the Pope wishes to be, in any way, a personal attack nor an indication of voting. The Pope has made it clear that would not enter into the [Presidential] election campaign in the United States and he has also said—which was not reported by many—if it were correct and true what he was told—he would give the benefit of the doubt over what had been reported about the Republican candidate’s expressions. Therefore the key point is welcome—the building of bridges instead of walls—that is characteristic of this Pontificate. It must be interpreted and understood in this way.
FULL TEXT Interview : http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2016/02/popefrancis-suggests-donald-trump-not.html
FULL TEXT Interview : http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2016/02/popefrancis-suggests-donald-trump-not.html
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