President Donald Trump in Maryland Jan. 20, 2021. (CNS photo/Carlos Barria, Reuters) Pope Francis sent a message to Donald Trump on the occasion of his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States on Monday, offering prayers for “wisdom, strength, and protection” in the exercise of his duties and invoking blessings upon the “beloved American people”.
In the message, released by the Holy See Press Office on January 20, the Pontiff expressed hope that under Trump’s leadership, the American people would “prosper and always strive to build a more just society”.
The Pope acknowledged the “numerous challenges” facing the human family, including “the scourge of war,” and asked God to guide Trump’s efforts in “promoting peace and reconciliation among peoples.”
The message concluded with the Holy Father invoking “an abundance of divine blessings” upon Trump, his family, and “the beloved American people.”
One day earlier — on Sunday — Pope Francis criticised potential plans for mass deportations in the United States during a wide-ranging Italian television interview.
“If this is true it is a disgrace because it makes the poor unfortunate who have nothing pay the price of imbalance. This is not how things are solved,” the pope said on Italian broadcaster Nove’s “Che Tempo Che Fa” programme.