Donald Trump has attempted to
soften his initial harsh response to Pope Francis's comment on
Thursday that the US presidential hopeful is not a real
Christian if he says walls must be raised against migrants.
During a town hall-style meeting broadcast on CNN Thursday
evening, Trump said the pontiff's comments were "probably a
little bit nicer" than the press first reported.
Trump said he believes the pontiff has only been given
Mexico's version of events without being properly informed about
the migration issues facing the US at the Mexican border.
ON Thursday, Trump had said it was "disgraceful" for Pope
Francis "to question a person's faith", and claimed the pontiff
was being used as a "pawn" by the Mexican government.
The pope's comments came during a question and answer
session with journalists on the return flight from his Mexico
trip, in which he was also asked about Italy's current debate on
a civil unions bill.
To that, he said: "the pope doesn't get mixed up in Italian
politics".
The pope also hinted that the Catholic Church could to some
degree tolerate he use of contraception by women at risk of
contracting the Zika virus.
The fast-spreading virus has been linked to the
microcephaly birth defects in babies, which can cause
development problems.
"We must not confuse the evil consisting of avoiding a
pregnancy with abortion," Pope Francis told reporters.
"Abortion is not a theological problem. It is a human
problem, medical. One person is killed to save another. It is
evil in itself, it is not a religious evil, it is a human evil.
"Avoiding a pregnancy is not an absolute evil. In certain
cases, as in this one, or in the one I mentioned of Blessed Paul
VI, it is clear," he added referring to a predecessor's decision
to allow nuns at risk of rape in Africa to use contraceptives.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
