NEWS

Trump to Pope Francis at the Vatican: 'We can use peace'

Eric J. Lyman
Special for USA TODAY
Pope Francis shakes hands with President Trump on the occasion of their private audience at the Vatican in Vatican City, May 24, 2017.

VATICAN CITY — President Trump promised Wednesday to take to heart privately exchanged words with Pope Francis, after the two met for the first time and put aside their clashing views.

“Thank you. Thank you. I won't forget what you said,” Trump told Francis at the end of the 30-minute, closed-door visit.

Photos before their meeting showed Trump smiling broadly, while the pope appeared stern. However, the pontiff emerged from their talk with a more upbeat look.

"Honor of a lifetime to meet His Holiness Pope Francis. I leave the Vatican more determined than ever to pursue PEACE in our world," Trump tweeted.

During a later meeting with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Trump said about the pope: "He is something. We had a fantastic meeting."

The Argentine-born Francis spoke in his native Spanish, through an interpreter. The pope gave Trump a signed-and-bound copy of his remarks from the last World Peace Day in September, plus a set of English-language translations of his papal writings including his 2015 encyclical on climate change. Trump is a noted climate change skeptic.

“Well, I’ll be reading them,” Trump said.  “We can use peace," he added.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson later said Trump and the pope discussed terrorism and the radicalization of young people. He said climate change came up in Trump's meeting with the Vatican's secretary of state, who encouraged the president to remain in the Paris agreement. Tillerson said Trump "hasn't made a final decision" on the climate accord.

Trump’s gift to Francis was a boxed set of the writings of Martin Luther King Jr., who Francis has expressed admiration for in the past.

The pope also asked first lady Melania Trump, who was born in Slovenia, “What do you give him [Trump] to eat, potizza?” She repeated "potizza," which is a Slovenian baked treat.

A U.S. flag was prominently hung from one of the Vatican buildings facing St. Peter’s Square in honor of Trump’s visit.

The cordial exchange came after the two men had exchanged verbal jabs during last year’s presidential campaign, with Francis saying Trump’s views were not those of a Christian. Trump responded that the pontiff’s remarks were “disgraceful.”

On Wednesday, the two were friendly in public.

The Vatican, in a statement, expressed hope that the encounter would be the start of a “serene collaboration” with the Trump administration. It said Trump and Francis covered such topics as health care, education, migration, international affairs and interreligious dialogue. There were no details of what was said.

“I’m sure that behind closed doors the both men spoke very frankly,” said Giampaolo Malgeri, a professor of political science and international relations at Rome’s LUMSA Catholic University. Malgeri said the most important aspect of the meeting was to establish new ties between the White House and the Holy See.

“It’s important to both sides that there are open lines of communication,” Malgeri added.

Trump’s visit to Rome is his third stop on a nine-day international trip after visiting Saudi Arabia and Israel, completing a tour of the spiritual homelands of the world’s three main religions.

The Italian media dubbed the encounter the “G-2” — a play on the G-7, or Group of Seven, summit of world leaders Trump will attend later in the week in Sicily.

The audience with Francis came 124 days into his presidency, earlier than any of the 29 other meetings between a U.S. president and a pontiff. The previous record was held by President George H.W. Bush, who visited Pope John Paul II 127 days into his presidency in 1989.

Trump arrived amid a security lockdown in the Italian capital. Residents held several protests against the U.S. president. Anti-Trump banners that were hung from prominent bridges and at the landmark Castel Sant’Angelo near the Vatican were removed before Trump passed by.

Several Americans in Rome were mostly critical of Trump.

“I don’t know what will change from this meeting,” said Elise Sanders, 33, a native of Gaffney, S.C., working as a primary school teacher in Rome. “We may get a riveting tweet or two from the president. But in the end, it probably just means a day of bad traffic in Rome, and politics as usual after everyone goes home.”

“These kinds of meetings have to happen, but I don’t see either man changing the views of the other in any important way,” added Frank Allen Reynolds, 55, a tour guide from New York City's Staten Island.

Veronica Rossi, 22, a university student from Italy, was more philosophical. “I hold out hope that the Holy Father can help President Trump soften some of his views, and that Trump can help Francis understand his priorities,” Rossi said.

Trump also visited the Sistine Chapel, along with daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and national security adviser H.R. McMaster. The first lady toured the pediatric care unit at the Bambino Gesu hospital on the outskirts of the Vatican city-state.

"She spoke to them in Italian, she signed bandages, and she took lots of selfies!" said Stephanie Grisham, Melania Trump's press secretary. "She personally wrote a letter to the pope asking to go. Princess Diana and Mother Teresa have both visited as well."

Trump also met with Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

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