Pope Again Forgets About Vatican’s GIANT Wall In Attack On Trump

Pope Francis doubled down on his criticism of President Donald Trump’s longtime promise to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, while ignoring the wall surrounding Vatican City. “In the social and civil context as well, I appeal not to create walls but to build bridges,” the pope said Wednesday from within the walled enclave of Vatican City. “To not respond to evil with evil. To defeat evil with good, the offense with forgiveness. A Christian would never say ‘you will pay for that.’ Never,” the pope continued, in what was clearly a message for Trump.

The Vatican, a 110-acre papal state in the heart of Rome, is surrounded by massive walls that stretch 40 feet into the sky. The walls, measuring approximately 2 miles in length, were built starting in the 800s. Pope Leo IV first ordered the construction of a wall to protect the the Holy See in 846.

The pope first criticized Trump during the Republican primaries, suggesting in February, 2016, Trump may not be a Christian. “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” the pope told reporters who asked him about Trump’s immigration policy proposals.

Trump reacted by calling the pope’s comments disgraceful. “No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith,” Trump said at the time. Dan Scavino Jr., the Trump campaign social media director, tweeted a picture of the Vatican at the time, highlighting the wall that surrounds the complex.

Francis and Trump are set to meet during the president’s visit to Italy in May, according to the British Catholic newspaper, The Tablet. The newspaper, citing diplomatic sources, reported the two will meet while Trump is at the G7 Summit May 26-27 in Taorima, Sicily.

https://dailycaller.com/2017/02/08/pope-again-forgets-about-vaticans-giant-wall-in-attack-on-trump/

>>4576191

'The Biggest Wall of Them All': Donald Trump Says Vatican City Barrier Proves Border Wall Is Moral

President Donald Trump said Wednesday the walls surrounding the Vatican City undermine moral arguments against his proposed wall along the southern border. “When they say the wall’s immoral, Well then you got to do something about the Vatican, because the Vatican has the biggest wall of them all,” Trump said during a cabinet meeting at the White House. “The wall is immoral? Look at all of the countries that have walls, and they work 100 percent. It’s never going to change.” Trump’s remarks were a version on an argument he often uses when defending the utility of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border — comparing his proposal to border barriers elsewhere in the world. His most frequent example is Israel, which has built more than 400 miles of “separation barrier” through the West Bank, but administration surrogates have also pointed to the Vatican City to defend the border wall proposal. When Pope Francis criticized the idea as un-Christian in February 2016, Trump’s social media director Dan Scavino accused the pontiff of hypocrisy, given the Vatican City’s own network of walls. “Amazing comments from the pope — considering Vatican City is 100% surrounded by massive walls,” Scavino wrote on Twitter.

Indeed, much of the Vatican, a roughly 100-acre enclave in Rome that is home to the Holy See, is surrounded by ancient stone walls. The guesthouse where Francis lives, along with some gardens and the library, is protected by them. However, walls do not entirely enclose the Vatican City, contrary to Scavino’s tweet. Visitors are free to enter popular tourist destinations including St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Peter’s Square and the Vatican Museum, when they want.

In Washington, the debate over Trump’s proposed border wall is more than academic. The government has been partly shut down since Dec. 22 over the issue, with the White House demanding that lawmakers approve $5 billion in funding for the wall in a 2019 spending bill. Democrats have unanimously refused to entertain the demand, while Republican leaders have said they won’t vote for a package that Trump will veto. After a White House briefing on Trump’s proposed wall, Democratic leaders dug in against funding the project. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who is likely to become speaker of the house when Democrats take control of the House on Thursday, called on Republicans to support a plan that would fund eight federal departments through Sept. 30 and keep the Department of Homeland Security open through Feb. 8. “A question to the president and Republicans is: Why don’t you accept what you have already done to open up the government?” Pelosi asked at a news conference, according to CNBC.

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-vatican-city-border-wall-moral-1277714

>>4576289

>>4576296

World full of hypocrites, "Do as I say not as I do"

>>4576294

Agreed Anon, that could also be said for many other churches…too many homeless around and what impact have they contributed to the problem a big fat 0…There is no excuse for them not to go out among the communities they serve and serve them as it was intended.

>>4576327

Agreed

Too much hate and warring in the name of "religion"

>>4576348

Agreed, sadly not lost on me…but it is for others.

>>4576480

I wonder how much that cost the US taxpayers!