Claude Truong-Ngoc / Wikimedia Commons (Left), Trump White House Archived / Flickr (Right)
CV NEWS FEED // The Holy See’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on his election and expressed hope that he would govern with wisdom.
“Of course we wish [Trump] well,” Cardinal Parolin told reporters, according to Vatican News. “At the beginning of his mandate, we wish him much wisdom, because that is the principal virtue of leaders according to the Bible.”
Cardinal Parolin responded to Trump’s promise to end wars in the Ukraine and Holy Land by saying that he hoped Trump would succeed, adding, “I don’t think he has a magic wand.”
He added that resolving wars requires humility, willingness, and an interest in the common good of humanity rather than particular interests of individual nations.
Cardinal Parolin expressed hesitation at Trump’s campaign promise to deport illegal aliens.
“It seems to me that the position of the Pope and the Holy See is very clear in this regard,” the Cardinal stated. “We are for a wise policy towards immigrants and therefore one that does not go to these extremes.”
He added that Pope Francis’ “very precise, very clear” instructions on immigration are “the only way to address the problems and solve them in a humane manner.”
Cardinal Parolin said that Trump’s defense of life aligns more closely with Catholic teaching than his immigration policies.
He added, “I believe this should be common policy; it should try to gather consensus around this issue and not become a policy once again of polarization and division.”
He hoped that Trump’s policies on life “will also broaden the consensus in this sense.”
Regarding Vatican-American relations, Cardinal Parolin said relations with the United States will not change. “We maintained relations with President Trump even during his previous term in office,” he said, “so more or less we will continue.”
He added, “This will be the occasion to exercise dialogue and try to find more points of consensus together, always for the benefit of the common good and of peace in the world.”
