WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The day before he died, in his final public address, expressed an Easter Sunday message of unity and an appeal for the marginalized and migrants. 鈥淎ll of us,鈥� he proclaimed, "are children of God!鈥�
In a dramatically different message Sunday, President issued an insult-laced post wishing a happy Easter to his opponents, including 鈥淩adical Left Lunatics,鈥� 鈥淲EAK and INEFFECTIVE Judges and Law Enforcement Officials,鈥� and former President Joe Biden, 鈥渙ur WORST and most Incompetent President."
Some of the fundamental differences between the U.S. president and the late pope 鈥� not only their divergent styles but their positions on 鈥� will come into sharper focus as Trump travels to Rome on Friday for Francis鈥� funeral, to be held Saturday morning in St. Peter鈥檚 Square.
David Gibson, director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University in New York, put it this way: 鈥淥bviously, it's been a fraught relationship.鈥�
The relationship eroded
Things weren't great between Trump and the pope during Trump's first term, from 2017 to 2021. But, says Gibson, 鈥淭rump II was even worse with the Vatican because of how much more aggressive it has been on every level, against migrants, against international aid.鈥�
The Argentine pontiff and the American president sparred early on over immigration. In 2016, Francis, alluding to then-candidate Trump, called anyone who builds a wall to keep out migrants 鈥� .鈥� Trump called the comment 鈥渄isgraceful.鈥�
Despite the billionaire former reality star鈥檚 divergences over the years with Francis, who was known for a humble style, Trump鈥檚 support has gradually risen among American Catholics. He courted them in his last presidential campaign, and many influential bishops are among his supporters.
Trump, who has identified himself as a 鈥渘on-denominational Christian," has long counted Christians, especially evangelical Christians, among his key blocs of support. His policies on abortion, including his role in appointing three of the five U.S. Supreme Court justices who overturned national abortion rights, deepened his support among Christians, including many conservative Catholics.
His politics are also closely aligned with many conservative U.S. Catholic bishops, who were often at odds with Francis鈥� more progressive approach to leading the church.
The Republican president implored Catholics last year to vote for him. In October, when he addressed the Al Smith charity dinner in New York, which raises millions of dollars for Catholic charities, Trump said: 鈥淵ou gotta get out and vote. And Catholics, you gotta vote for me.鈥�
Many Catholics did. In the 2024 election, Trump won the Catholic vote, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. In 2020, the Catholic vote was evenly split between Joe Biden, but in 2024, 54% of Catholic voters supported Trump and 44% supported Kamala Harris.
For Trump, Catholics' support didn't earn Francis'
But while Trump may have won the Catholic vote, he never won over Francis.
Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic who met briefly with Francis the day before he died, dismissed the pontiff鈥檚 disagreements with the administration, telling reporters this week that the pope was 鈥渁 much broader figure鈥� than American politics 鈥� a man who led a church with 1.4 billion members worldwide.
鈥淚鈥檓 aware that he had some disagreements with some of the policies of our administration,鈥� Vance said. 鈥淗e also had a lot of agreements with some of the policies of our administration. I鈥檓 not going to soil the man鈥檚 legacy by talking about politics.鈥�
Trump, too, met once with Francis, in a largely cordial meeting at the Vatican in 2017. But their differences persisted.
In February of this year, Francis sent a letter to U.S. bishops that was similar in tone to his comments on immigration almost a decade earlier. the Trump administration鈥檚 embarking on plans for mass deportations and noted that in the Bible, the infant Jesus and his family were themselves refugees in Egypt, fleeing a threat to their lives.
Some leading bishops did applaud some of the new Trump administration initiatives on 鈥渟chool choice鈥� and policies defining gender as determined at birth. Francis, while upholding church teachings on sexuality, took a more tolerant stance toward LGBTQ+ people.
Other prominent bishops, appointed by Francis, are more sympathetic with his priorities. They include the new archbishop of Washington, Cardinal .
Catholics are a diverse group and act accordingly
But the Catholic vote is not monolithic. John Fea, a professor of history at Messiah University in Pennsylvania, said many conservative Catholics, even if they respect the office of the pope, 鈥渄on鈥檛 like his progressive views" on immigrants and his authorizing of blessings for same-sex couples.
鈥淭he views of many conservative American Catholics line-up with Trump鈥檚 brand of populism: strong borders, pro-life on abortion, concern about critical race theory in schools, etc.,鈥� Fea, author of 鈥淏elieve Me: The Evangelical Road to Donald Trump,鈥� said via email.
In contrast, he speculated that many progressive Catholics who do share Pope Francis鈥� social justice concerns probably did not vote for Trump.
In addition to migration, Francis also differed with Trump on the environment, writing an encyclical calling for climate action, in contrast to the president鈥檚 push to bring back fossil fuels. Francis also staunchly opposed the death penalty, something Trump supports.
Stylistically, Trump's big personality also contrasted with Francis鈥� more self-deprecating and welcoming tone, immortalized by his 鈥淲ho am I to judge?鈥� response to a question about gay priests.
Trump and Francis did share some policy goals on issues such as abortion and religious freedom, and U.S.-Vatican relations involve more than two people, said Steven Millies, director of the Bernadin Center at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.
鈥淏ut the alignments were at the diplomatic level more than at the personal or political level, of course,鈥� said Millies, a professor of public theology.
鈥淭hey were profoundly different people 鈥� one who鈥檇 been formed by Jesuit spirituality and lived his life in deepening faith that he shared with the world, the other who mangles Scripture quotations, sells Bibles for personal profit, and uses Christian faith like a brand identity in a market competition.鈥�
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Smith, a religion writer for The Associated Press, reported from Pittsburgh.
Peter Smith And Michelle L. Price, The Associated Press
