Will Donald Trump attend his critic Pope Francis' funeral? ‘We’re going to be…’
President Donald Trump is anticipated to attend Pope Francis' funeral in Vatican City later this week, reported The New York Post.
President Donald Trump is anticipated to attend Pope Francis' funeral in Vatican City later this week, reported The New York Post, citing people involved with the arrangements. Francis died at the age of 88 on Monday.
The precise timetable for Francis' funeral and burial, which is still being finalized, will probably take place in four to six days following his death.
Pope Francis blasted Trump's deportation plans days before his death.
Trump calls Pope Francis a ‘very good man’
Meanwhile, Trump did not say if he will be attending the funeral at the White House Easter Egg Roll. “I don’t know yet. We’re going to be briefed on it right now … I just have to look at the timing,” he informed the reporters.
In response to a question about his memories of Francis, whom he met during his first term in 2017, Trump said, “He was a very good man who loved the world, and he especially loved people that were having a hard time, and that's good with me.”
As of 1 p.m. Monday, Trump also claimed to have issued an order for flags to fly at half-staff nationwide in observance of Francis, though the directives are yet to be made public.
The most recent pope to die in office, Pope John Paul II, was buried in 2005, and then-President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush attended his funeral.
Earlier in the day, the White House shared condolences after Pope's demise.
The White House shared pictures of Pope Francis with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, the text read: “Rest in Peace, Pope Francis” the post read with an emoji with a cross.
Also Read: Here's how Hamas, Iran, Palestine reacted to Pope Francis' death: ‘We lost a faithful friend’
Pope France and Trump's immigration policies
Prior to his passing, US Vice President JD Vance had a brief meeting with the pope on Sunday to wish him a happy Easter. This came after they had a lengthy argument over the Trump administration's plans to deport migrants.
Vance and the pope deeply entangled regarding migration and the Trump administration's intentions to deport large numbers of migrants. During his pontificate, Francis has made helping migrants a priority.
When Pope criticised Trump's immigration policies, US Border Czar Tom Homan accused him of hypocrisy, adding that “they have a wall around the Vatican.”
In a televised interview in January, Homan added: “If you illegally enter the Vatican, the crime is serious. You'll be charged with a serious crime and jailed. So he can protect the Vatican where he lives. He can build a wall where he lives, but the American people are not allowed that.”
Homan went further, calling on the pope to focus on addressing issues within the Catholic Church. "The Pope ought to stick to the Catholic Church and fix that. That's a mess," Homan said.
Homan went one step farther and urged the pope to concentrate on resolving problems inside the Catholic Church. “The Pope ought to stick to the Catholic Church and fix that. That's a mess,” Homan said.
