Pope Francis: It is Too Early to Judge Trump

Pope Francis, the leader of the world's Catholics, commented on the beginning of Donald Trump's presidency in the United States, stating that he will not make premature judgments and has advised everyone and followers of Christianity to be patient in their evaluations. According to reports, Pope Francis emphasized in an interview with the Spanish-language newspaper El País, published on Sunday, January 22, that we must wait and see what Mr. Trump will do in practice. The Pope stated that refraining from hasty judgments about individuals is part of his fundamental principles and values as well as those of any believing Christian, adding that worrying about something that has not yet happened and that one might think will happen is 'not wise.' Eleven months ago, in February 2016, after visiting Mexico, Pope Francis had reacted to Mr. Trump's insistence on building a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border by saying that building a wall is not a Christian act, and that building bridges of friendship is the guidance of the Holy Gospel. He also emphasized that he had not made a personal comment about Donald Trump, who at that time had not yet become the final candidate of the Republican Party in the U.S. presidential election. At that time, Mr. Trump stated, 'Officials in Mexico have made insulting remarks about me to the Pope because they want to continue their commercial looting and disrespect for the borders of the United States.' Donald Trump also said it is not good for a high-ranking religious leader to question the religious beliefs of a Christian and emphasized that 'I take pride in being a Christian.' He also mentioned that if a terrorist threat arises for the Vatican, the Pope will pray for me to be President. Mr. Trump's comments were aimed at countering foreigners, especially those from Mexico, entering the U.S. for work. In another comment, just six days before the U.S. presidential election, Pope Francis, during a trip to Sweden, warned leaders about the excessive acceptance of foreign refugees in Europe. The Pope stated that European countries should accept enough refugees to be able to integrate them into their societies, as these people fleeing wars and hardships also need a good life. Warning about populist politicians, Pope Francis, in another part of his conversation with El País, cautioned European countries against turning to populist politicians. He stated that this situation is related to economic failures and frustrations. Pope Francis added that the example of populist governments in Europe arose after economic failures, with Adolf Hitler's rise in 1933 following the harsh economic conditions of the 1920s, but Hitler led his people to destruction. He said that in times of crisis, 'the power of discernment' disappears, and the way to counter this situation is to increase dialogue among people to overcome concerns. The Pope's remarks coincided with a gathering of leaders of major right-wing parties in Europe. Leaders of parties representing far-right views from Germany, France, Austria, the Netherlands, and Italy gathered on Saturday, January 21, in Koblenz, Germany. At this meeting, Marine Le Pen, a leader of the right-wing in France, stated that nationalism is not an old cursed phrase but rather the imminent future for the revival of Europe.