Donald Trump hails meeting with Pope Francis at Vatican

TIL Desk/World/Vatican City/ US President Donald Trump met Pope Francis at the Vatican on Wednesday during the first face-to-face meeting of the two leaders, who symbolise starkly different views of the world.

Trump arrived for a short private audience at the Apostolic Palace along with his wife Melania, daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner. The US President was greeted warmly by Francis before they sat down for the private meeting at which only a translator was present.

Trump could be heard saying it was “an honour” to be there during the meeting. At one point, the Pope jokingly asked Melania, “what she fed her husband.The seemingly genial meeting offered no hint of the rocky start to the pair’s relationship last year, when the Argentinian pontiff questioned then-candidate Trump’s Christian credentials, the report said.

US Secretary of State Rex W Tillerson and National Security Adviser H R McMaster were among Trump’s delegation to the Vatican. After Trump’s private meeting with the Pope, Melania and others were invited to join the pair in the papal library.