Vatican Faces Challenges in Navigating Second Trump Presidency

New York: Donald Trump 's election victory in the US presidential elections 2024 prompted two senior figures in the Catholic Church to react very differently. 

On on side, there is Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the president of the United States Catholic Bishops’ Conference, shortly after the result we declared, was interviewed by a US media outlet known for its sympathy toward Trump.

Broglio, the archbishop for the military services, appeared calm about the election outcome and discussed why he believed Catholic voters supported Trump. He did not express any significant concerns regarding Trump’s plans to deport migrants, even though Pope Francis had consistently stressed the importance of welcoming migrants during his pontificate.

On the other side is, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See's Secretary of state. He wished the President-elect Trump in a very diplomatic way, “much wisdom” after his victory, he urged him to be a president for the “whole country” but noted that Trump did not possess a “magic wand” to address global issues. Parolin cautioned against “going to extremes” on migration, stating that the Vatican advocates for solving problems in a “humane manner.” 

Ideological Gap Between Trump and Vatican

Pope Francis and the Vatican face a challenging task in navigating a second Trump presidency, with shifting Catholic voter support and church hierarchy historically aligned with Republicans on issues like abortion, religious liberty, and gender identification. As the 2024 election approaches, bishops have reiterated that abortion is the "pre-eminent priority."

Although the pope has taken a strong stance on abortion, he has avoided adopting a "culture war" approach. His refusal to do so, coupled with his advocacy for a merciful, inclusive church that welcomes LGBTQ individuals, has led to unprecedented criticism from within the US church. Some of this opposition to Pope Francis often aligns with support for Trump.

Key Issues that divide Trump and Pope

Despite their influence, Trump and Pope Francis hold vastly different views. While Trump advocates for mass deportations of migrants, Francis calls such actions a "grave sin" and views their exclusion as "criminal." Trump pushes an isolationist "America First" foreign policy, with a focus on confronting China, whereas the Vatican has recently extended its agreement with Beijing for four more years, allowing Chinese officials some input on bishop appointments in the country.

While Trump remains a climate skeptic, Francis has made environmental protection a central focus of his papacy.

Although tensions are likely, the Vatican will also look for areas of agreement with the Trump administration, particularly on the war in Ukraine, where the pope has called for a negotiated peace, a stance Trump has vowed to support.

Under the previous Trump administration, a diplomatic conflict erupted when then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized the pope's stance on China and was denied a meeting with Francis. Additionally, ahead of the 2016 election, the pope called Trump’s proposal to build a wall on the US-Mexico border "not Christian."

Pope Francis criticized both Harris and Trump before the election, stating that US voters faced a choice between the "lesser of two evils." However, he pointed out that Harris's pro-choice stance and Trump's policies on migrants, which he said were harmful, were both "against life." This view contrasted with the US bishops' leadership, which prioritized abortion as the "pre-eminent" concern.