Aboard the Papal Plane – On his flight back from celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Fatima apparitions, Pope Francis told reporters that his upcoming meeting with President Donald Trump will consist of listening to one another and talking of peace.
Reporter Fatima Camps Ferreira of Portuguese TV Radio began the questions during the flight. After thanking the pope for his trip to Portugal, Ferreira asked what the world could expect from an encounter between the two world leaders. Pope Francis responded, “What can the world expect? Peace. And what am I talking about from now on with whomever? Peace.”
Later in the interview, reporter Claudio Lavanga asked the pope what his opinions were concerning President Trump’s politics. Lavanga what the Pope expected from a meeting with a world leader who “seems to think and act contrary to you?”
The Pope responded, reiterating his hopes for peace. “I never make a judgment of a person without listening to them,” the Pope told Lavanga. “I believe that I should not do this. In our talk things will come out, I will say what I think, he will say what he thinks, but I never, ever, wanted to make a judgment without hearing the person.”
Lavanga continued to ask Pope Francis about the policies that he and Trump may not see eye to eye about. The Pope responded, saying, “Look for the doors that are at least a little bit open, enter and talk about common things and go on. Step by step. Peace is handcrafted. It is made every day.”
The Pope also said that friendship, mutual knowledge, and esteem are all choices that we make on an everyday basis. “Respect the other, say that which one thinks, but with respect, but walk together … someone thinks of one way or the other, but … Be very sincere with what everyone thinks, no?”
The upcoming meeting for the world leaders is set for May 24, 2017. This will be the first time President Trump visits the Vatican. The White House has released the President Trump’s trip will also include visits throughout Italy, Belgium, Israel and Saudi Arabia. The trip will also include the G7 summit meeting in Sicily
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