VATICAN CORNER
continued … After her meeting with Pope Francis, Melania Trump went on to the Bambino Gesú children’s hospital in Rome, a Vaticanaffiliated hospital where she met with children patients, prayed in the hospital chapel and laid flowers at the feet of a statue of Mary. In the Intensive Care Unit, she read to a young Greek boy while holding his hand. He was waiting for a heart transplant. A few hours afterwards, a donor heart had been located for the boy. Upon hearing the news, she said “now my own heart is filled with joy. The time I spent with the little ones in the Intensive Care Unit is something I will never forget, and I will pray for each of them daily.” Pope Francis and President Donald Trump posed for pictures for a few minutes, then the journalists were moved away and the two men were left alone in the Apostolic Palace at the Pope’s large wooden desk. Neither the White House nor the Vatican will likely ever reveal exactly what Trump and Pope Francis discussed during their private, 30-minute meeting. In a vague statement later, the Vatican said they had “cordial discussions” and touched on everything from healthcare and education to assistance to immigrants and the “promotion of peace,” particularly in the Middle East, from which the President had just traveled. After their discussion there was a gift exchange and then they shook hands before parting. The Pope’s gift to Trump included a medal by a Roman artist depicting an olive tree, which is a symbol of peace. The president responded with “We can use peace.” Pope Francis also gave the president copies of his three main teaching documents that contain themes that contrast sharply with Trump’s polices and campaign promises, particularly concerning the environment and income inequality. The president told Francis he’d be reading them. President Trump’s gift for Pope Francis was a first-edition set of books by the Rev. Martin Luther King. That gift idea came from the recalling of the Pope’s speech to the US Congress in 2015 in which the Pope quoted the revered civil rights leader. Trump said “I think you’ll enjoy them. I hope you do.”Trump told the Pope “Thank you. Thank you. I won’t forget what you said” before they parted. However, just days later, President Trump decided to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord agreement. Cardinal Peter Turkson who led a Vatican delegation that was influential in brokering the Paris agreement in 2015 said “this for us is something we hoped would not have happened. Certain issues should be taken out of the political discussion domain and not be politicized… The truth is, climate is a global public good and not limited to any country. Some feel that the withdrawal from the Paris agreement is like slapping the Pope in the face.
Sources nbcnew.com, cnn.com, Dailymail.co.uk, cbsnews.com, washingtonpost.com, independent.co.uk