“We are entering a phase of hardening between Washington and the Vatican”

How did the Holy See welcome the election of Donald Trump in the United States?

The Pope and the diplomacy of the Holy See are, as usual, in an attitude of neutrality. Francis said it very clearly during the electoral campaign: those who do not welcome migrants and those who are in favor of abortion are not in phase with the magisterium. He therefore made it clear that neither the Republican Donald Trump nor the Democrat Kamala Harris were his ideal candidates, even if we could note a slight preference for the latter.

Relations between Francis and Joe Biden seemed relatively fluid. Was this really the case?

Yes, they were on good terms. Joe Biden is the second Catholic American president, the first since John Fitzgerald Kennedy. He is a practicing Catholic who goes to mass every Sunday. The Pope appreciated his actions in favor of climate change, his slightly less harsh attitude towards migrants, the way he dealt with the Covid pandemic. He also protected him from criticism from the most conservative American bishops who wanted to deny him access to communion because of his “pro-choice” positions.

How did Francis perceive Donald Trump’s policies during his first term, between 2017 and 2021?

There were several reasons for incomprehension, even conflict. I am thinking of the issue of migrants but also of the relationship with Beijing. The agreement signed in September 2018 by the Vatican on the appointment of bishops in China in an attempt to achieve a single Church where bishops are recognized by both the Pope and the Chinese Communist Party was criticized by the American administration. of the time. This decision by the Vatican was, it is true, very poorly received by a number of Catholics including, first and foremost, the Archbishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun.

And then, there was Trump’s denunciation, in June 2017, of the normalization agreement between the United States and Cuba, which was able to succeed in 2014 thanks to the long-term work of the Holy See. Finally, the climate proved to be a subject of confrontation when the American president pulled his country out of the Paris agreement in June 2017.

Could relations between the two men start on new bases?

I think, on the contrary, we are entering a phase of hardening between Washington and the Vatican. Donald Trump appointed Brian Burch as new ambassador to the Holy See on December 21, 2024. He is a right-wing Catholic who has been explicitly critical of the pope. Is this an answer? On January 6, the pope just named Mgr Robert McElroy archbishop of Washington, a cardinal who is openly anti-Trump on immigration, the climate and the reception of LGBT people. On the issue of migrants in particular, he had the opportunity to express his open vision when he was bishop of San Diego in California, very close to the Mexican border. The hardening is all the more likely since the Pope and Donald Trump already know each other. The Pope knows that Trump is unpredictable and there are fewer illusions on both sides about the possibility of understanding and dialogue.

Will there be possible points of convergence?

Ukraine could be one. Certainly, the influence of the Holy See on the evolution of the conflict is secondary, especially since Ukraine and Russia are Orthodox countries. Both the United States and the Holy See, however, wish to reach a resolution which would obviously involve territorial concessions on the part of kyiv. But the Holy See has always been clear: if there are concessions, they must have the approval of Ukraine and not be made against its will.

Does Donald Trump still use religion for political purposes?

He places less emphasis on religion than before. He spoke much less about the Bible and Christian values ​​during his last campaign than in 2016. Those, among his allies, highlighted this dimension, like Steve Bannon, his former campaign director in 2016, then strategic advisor to the president at the start of the first term, have less weight.

Remember that Bannon had developed a politico-religious project consisting of using Christianity against the Pope. It aimed to unite Catholics and other anti-Francis Christians in a logic of identity through, in particular, the creation of an “academy” which would have had its headquarters near Rome to promote traditional values. This project did not see the light of day and today’s Trump is more discreet on religious issues.