WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump mentioned he and first girl Melania Trump would attend the funeral of Pope Francis, embarking on the primary overseas journey of his second time period to honor the late non secular chief.
“Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis, in Rome. We look forward to being there!” Trump mentioned Monday in a put up to his Fact Social platform.
Francis died at age 88 on Monday in Rome. He had been hospitalized in mid-February with bronchitis, which progressed to life-threatening pneumonia, earlier than leaving the hospital in March. The late pontiff had a historical past of well being points, together with respiratory issues.
Trump praised Francis as a “good man” who “loved the world” after his loss of life.
A day earlier than his loss of life, Francis met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, a latest Catholic convert, in a gathering the Vatican had described as “cordial.” Earlier this yr, Francis denounced Trump’s plans to ramp up deportations of undocumented migrants, saying it might be a “disgrace.” These feedback led Vance to spar with Francis on social media, with the U.S. vice chairman in search of to tout his Christian beliefs in protection of Trump’s insurance policies.
A readout from the vice chairman’s workplace after the assembly with Francis made no point out of immigration issues however in a sermon on Sunday the late pope had urged political leaders to help weak and marginalized folks.
The non secular chief of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics since March 2013, Francis hailed from Argentina, making him the primary pope from the Americas, in addition to the primary Jesuit to carry that place. He turned pontiff after the abdication of Benedict XVI.
