Pope vs. Trump: 'Not Christian' to only build border walls

[webfact]

Pope vs. Trump: 'Not Christian' to only build border walls
By NICOLE WINFIELD and JULIE PACE

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Thrusting himself into the heated American presidential campaign, Pope Francis declared Thursday that Donald Trump is "not Christian" if he wants to address illegal immigration only by building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump fired back ferociously, saying it was "disgraceful" for a religious leader to question a person's faith.

The rare back-and-forth between pontiff and presidential candidate was the latest astonishing development in an American election already roiled by Trump's free-wheeling rhetoric and controversial policy proposals, particularly on immigration. It also underscored the popular pope's willingness to needle U.S. politicians on hot-button issues.

Francis' comments came hours after he concluded a visit to Mexico, where he prayed at the border for people who died trying to reach the U.S. While speaking to reporters on the papal plane, he was asked what he thought of Trump's campaign pledge to build a wall along the entire length of the border and expel millions of people in the U.S. illegally.

"A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian," he said. While Francis said he would "give the benefit of the doubt" because he had not heard Trump's border plans independently, he added, "I say only that this man is not a Christian if he has said things like that."

Trump, a Presbyterian and the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, responded within minutes.

"For a religious leader to question a person's faith is disgraceful," he said at a campaign stop in South Carolina, which holds a key primary on Saturday. "I am proud to be a Christian, and as president I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened."

Trump also raised the prospect of the Islamic State extremist group attacking the Vatican, saying that if that happened, "the pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president because this would not have happened."

Francis, the first pope from Latin America, urged Congress during his visit to Washington last year to respond to immigrants "in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal." He irked Republicans on the same trip with his forceful call for international action to address climate change.

Immigration is among the most contentious issues in American politics. Republicans have moved toward hardline positions that emphasize law enforcement and border security, blocking comprehensive legislation in 2013 that would have included a path to citizenship for many of the 11 million people in the U.S. illegally.

Hispanics, an increasingly large voting bloc in U.S. presidential elections, have flocked to Democrats in recent years. President Barack Obama won more than 70 percent in the 2012 election, leading some Republican leaders to conclude the party must increase its appeal to them.

However, the current GOP presidential primary has been dominated by increasingly tough rhetoric. Trump has insisted that Mexico will pay for his proposed border wall and has said some Mexicans entering the U.S. illegally are murderers and rapists.

While Trump's words have been among the most inflammatory, some of his rivals have staked out similar enforcement positions. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson are among those who have explicitly called for construction of a wall.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, one of the few GOP candidates proposing a path to legal status for people already in the U.S. illegally, said Thursday he supports "walls and fencing where it's appropriate." Bush said that while he gets his guidance "as a Catholic" from the pope, he doesn't take his cues from Francis on "economic or environmental policy."

Marco Rubio, another Catholic seeking the GOP nomination, said that Vatican City has a right to control its borders and so does the United States.

Rubio said he has "tremendous respect and admiration" for the pope, but he added, "There's no nation on Earth that's more compassionate on immigration than we are."

Cruz said he was steering clear of the dispute. "That's between Donald and the pope," he said. "I'm not going to get in the middle of them."

The long-distance exchange between the pope and Trump came two days before the voting in South Carolina, a state where 78 percent of adults identify as Christian, according to the Pew Research Center's 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Study. Of that group, 35 percent identify as evangelical and 10 percent as Catholic, the survey found.

It's unclear what impact, if any, the pope's rhetoric will have, here or in other states. An October poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that most Americans had no strong opinion on the pope's approach to immigration issues, though he was overall viewed favorably.

Even before Thursday, Trump had been critical of Francis' visit to Mexico. He said last week that the pope's plans to pray at the border showed he was a political figure being exploited by the Mexican government.

Francis glossed over Trump's assertion that he was a pawn of Mexico, telling reporters on his plane that he would "leave that up to your judgment." But he seemed pleased to hear the candidate had called him a "political" figure, noting that Aristotle had described the human being as a "political animal."
___

Pace reported from Greenville, South Carolina. AP writers Jill Colvin in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, and Tom Beaumont in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-02-19

[sebastion]

A religious leader has no business interfering in politics.

Obviously Don had many worried and they are pulling out the religious cards to defeat him.

[NeverSure]

He who lives behind tall walls with the Swiss Guard guarding him and keeping everyone out, shouldn't throw stones.

MR HYPOCRITE POPE: TEAR DOWN THESE WALLS.

[NongKhaiKid]

I'm no fan of Trump and see him as a buffoon making an ever bigger fool of US politics than usual but the Pope is way out of order.

He lives in a world totally divorced from reality and sees everything from his own falsely pious ' christian ' view of things.

To say someone isn't christian because of what he said is rich coming from someone who heads a church which throughout its history hasn't exactly been a shining example of what Christianity is supposed to be.

Practice What You Preach.

[NeverSure]

The Pope criticizing Trump. Lemme seeee....

Which one runs a huge multinational that DOESN'T cover up for its people when they molest little boys?

[NeverSure]

Someone tell that #%&@$% Pope that we're not a wimpy member of anything like the EU and that Rome doesn't run the United States of America.

Get lost, hypocrite Pope.

[Grouse]

Hilarious!

I have long thought that many American evangelical, bible thumping, creationists show less than Christian attitudes!

Amazing that a "secular" country will only ever elect a "Christian" president.

Congratulations to the Pope for pointing out the ridiculous nature of the situation!

555 (or maybe 666?)

[sirineou]

""For a religious leader to question a person's faith is disgraceful," he said at a campaign stop in South Carolina"

Was it Christ who questioned peoples faith?

[neverdie]

Poor old trump, he's been owned by the Pope and is looking very silly again.

[keemapoot]

Maybe the Pope needs to call him in for an attitude adjustment session

[MaeJoMTB]

How many Muslim Syrians is the Pope letting settle in the Vatican?

[neverdie]

Someone tell that #%&@$% Pope that we're not a wimpy member of anything like the EU and that Rome doesn't run the United States of America.

Get lost, hypocrite Pope.

Time for a sleep neversure, remember breath in and out. Relax, Does it really come as a surprise to you that the Pope thinks Donald is a douche? Just listen to what trump is saying, it should come as no surprise that healthy minds don't agree with his bitter views.

He will never make President!

Perhaps the Pope should run the USA, if he did, maybe they wouldn't be insolvent. Just a thought.

[spiritrace]

Way out of character for the Pope. I would like to follow the trail to see who is really behind this.

Good point about the Vatican being surrounded by tall walls........

Pope needs to re-evaluate his friendships and be cautious about what they ask for.

[mamypoko]

Hey Trump, your atheist vote should go up after this...

Naw, just kidding atheists know you for who you are...

Satan!

[Publicus]

Here's today's line score...

Trump 0, Pope 1, Obama 1, Clinton 1, Republican Party -10.

The pope from Argentina siding with Mexicans and Hispanics against Donald Trump further seals the miserable electoral fate of the Republican nominee for potus come election day November 8th.

Really don't think for a moment that Americans throughout the land want to see their potus arguing with the pope too. Is the wall builder and Muslim ban man prezident Trump gonna deny the pope a visa next time or what.

Mr. Trump tear down those walls inside your head.

Edited February 19, 2016 by Publicus

[SOTIRIOS]

...someone really has it in for Trump if you haven't noticed....

...and it is not God......

[keemapoot]

It's a very interesting and unique foreign policy we see developing from Trump.

Compliment the Kremlin

Insult the Vatican and 1.25 billion Christians

Insult the British Parliament

Insult the Mexican Government*

**oh, yeah, forgot...insult 24% of the world's population, 1.57 billion Muslims.

What's next?

Edited February 19, 2016 by keemapoot

[Ace of Pop]

The Popeye wins on the cash front perhaps he wants a Pope Tower in The Vatican tax haven after the Donald converted him to reality.[emoji539]

[neverdie]

Mr. Trump tear down those walls inside your head.

There's no room for 'walls' in his head, it's full of excrement!

[neverdie]

It's a very interesting and unique foreign policy we see developing from Trump.

Compliment the Kremlin

Insult the Vatican and 1.25 billion Christians

Insult the British Parliament

Insult the Mexican Government

What's next?

He won't stop until his cot is full of poop.

Americans need to make sure they vote for ANYONE other than this man.

[Ulysses G.]

I'm not a Trump fan and I am not an atheist, but I have more respect for him after this. The Pope has no business questioning his faith over politics.

[NeverSure]

Here's today's line score...

Trump 0, Pope 1, Obama 1, Clinton 1, Republican Party -10.

The pope from Argentina siding with Mexicans and Hispanics against Donald Trump further seals the miserable electoral fate of the Republican nominee for potus come election day November 8th.

Really don't think for a moment that Americans throughout the land want to see their potus arguing with the pope too. Is the wall builder and Muslim ban man prezident Trump gonna deny the pope a visa next time or what.

Mr. Trump tear down those walls inside your head.

So you're just sure that "all" Catholics are in favor of unregulated immigration not to mention having their jobs shipped to China?

Good luck with that one. American Catholics are a lot more like secular than you think they are, with most not even attending church.

This is a big win for Trump because Americans aren't ready to have Rome tell them what to do. Are you?

Cheers.

[neverdie]

I'm not a Trump fan and I am not an atheist, but I have more respect for him after this. The Pope has no business questioning his faith over politics.

Actually UG, the Pope didn't do that exactly.

What he said was something along the lines of 'anyone that builds bridges in this situation instead of bridges isn't a Christian'.

Now I think the popes qualified to comment. Unfortunately for Donald what the pope said applies to him.

[neverdie]

I have no doubt the Popes been watching the TV over the last few months watch Trump pulling his left foot out of his own mouth before inserting the right one, then back again.

The 'Donald show' is pumped around the world and is nauseating.

[Jingthing]

Papa Frank is obviously correct, and if the POPE don't know what's Christian, who does?

On the other hand, the USA is not a theocracy, Christian or otherwise.

[Ace of Pop]

This thing of ours was purely Catholic.[emoji547]️[emoji379][emoji379][emoji99]

[NeverSure]

Papa Frank is obviously correct, and if the POPE don't know what's Christian, who does?

On the other hand, the USA is not a theocracy, Christian or otherwise.

Apparently not the Pope by some people's standards.. He lives in a walled city and isn't about to take in Muslim OR Hispanic refugees.

He's all hat and no cattle.

Cheers.

[Jingthing]

Papa Frank is obviously correct, and if the POPE don't know what's Christian, who does?

On the other hand, the USA is not a theocracy, Christian or otherwise.

Apparently not the Pope by some people's standards.. He lives in a walled city and isn't about to take in Muslim OR Hispanic refugees.

He's all hat and no cattle.

Cheers.

I'm not supporting or opposing the Pope. Simply saying that he should know what's Christian and what's not.

[Publicus]

 

Here's today's line score...

Trump 0, Pope 1, Obama 1, Clinton 1, Republican Party -10.

The pope from Argentina siding with Mexicans and Hispanics against Donald Trump further seals the miserable electoral fate of the Republican nominee for potus come election day November 8th.

Really don't think for a moment that Americans throughout the land want to see their potus arguing with the pope too. Is the wall builder and Muslim ban man prezident Trump gonna deny the pope a visa next time or what.

Mr. Trump tear down those walls inside your head.

So you're just sure that "all" Catholics are in favor of unregulated immigration not to mention having their jobs shipped to China?

Good luck with that one. American Catholics are a lot more like secular than you think they are, with most not even attending church.

This is a big win for Trump because Americans aren't ready to have Rome tell them what to do. Are you?

Cheers.

My post did not specify American Catholics. It said Hispanics, Latinos, Americans throughout the land. My post did not say all Americans either.

Kindly visit here: http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/teacher-read-aloud-that-30799.html

Pope Francis is from Argentina so his native language is Spanish and he is the first pope from the Americas. He has a great impact on Hispanics in the US broadly. Donald Trump is a bizarre candidate for the Republican nomination or for the office of potus. He is even provoking this pope who is a Jesuit.

The pope is not telling anyone what to do. He's passing a rare judgment on a crackpot. I'm personally not concerned about the pope commenting in this way because it's Donald Trump. As a longtime 'retired Catholic' I don't want or expect a pope to tell me anything much less how to vote so that is not my issue. My issue in this election campaign is the crackpot running for the office of potus.

[Caveat Emptor]

So Trump isn't a Christian because he wants to build a wall not bridges ?

It's taken the Vatican 1,000 years to start a handrail with the Orthodox Church.

The Pope seems to think all problems can be resolved by adherence to religious principles so does that include the various problems caused by religion itself ?