Italian journalist Eugenio Scalfari just published an interview with Pope Francis that touched on a number of subjects, including the controversial political figure Donald Trump, who recently defeated Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election.
Note that while Scalfari published the interview just a few days after the election, he interviewed the pontiff just before the election. So these answers are not in response to Trump winning. But they are interesting nonetheless.
The first question Scalfari asked the Pope was simple: “Your Holiness, what do you think of Donald Trump?”
Here’s what the pontiff said: “I do not pass judgment on people and politicians, I simply want to understand the suffering that their approach causes the poor and excluded.”
Seems like a very Pope Francis-esque answer.
Scalfari then asked, “What is your main concern at the moment?” And Pope Francis zeroed in on an issue he’s been vocal about for a long time.
“The question of refugees and immigrants. Only a small proportion of them are Christians, but this does not change the situation as far as we are concerned, or their suffering and distress. The causes are many and we are doing everything possible to remove them. Unfortunately, often these policies are opposed by populations that are afraid of losing jobs and of lower wages.
“Money is against the poor as well as against immigrants and refugees, but there are also poor people in rich countries who fear the arrival of their fellows from poor countries. It is a vicious circle and it must be broken. We must break down the walls that divide us: we must try to increase well-being and make it more widespread, but to achieve this we need to break down walls and build bridges that allow us to reduce inequality and increase freedom and rights. More rights and greater freedom.”
You can read the full interview here.
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[See also: Pope Francis Reveals the Prayer He Prays Every Night Before Bed]