Pope Francis and President Donald Trump met for 30 minutes today. Ahead of the meeting, many speculated what they might discuss. Several Catholic University faculty members have weighed in on the conversation.
Very Rev. Mark Morozowich, dean, theology, was interviewed on WUSA9’s “Off Script” about interactions between Pope Francis and Trump.
“No matter whether you’re Christian or not Christian, no matter whether you’re a theist or an atheist, when you encounter the pope it’s always a special interaction,” he said in a Washington Times story.
Chad Pecknold, associate professor, theology, was interviewed by Radio France International on what to expect in the meeting of Trump and Pope Francis. He said Monday's terror attack in Manchester may give the two leaders some common ground.
V. Bradley Lewis, associate professor, philosophy, was quoted in a National Catholic Register story.
“At one level, President Trump and Pope Francis could not be more different,” observed Bradley Lewis, a political philosopher at The Catholic University of America. “The Holy Father is a famously austere man, an ascetic. Donald Trump has spent his life amassing a vast fortune and boasting about it. However, they have something in common: Each has set himself against a certain aspect of globalization.”
Continue reading in National Catholic Register.
Similarly, Joseph Capizzi, professor, moral theology, mentioned some similarities between the Pope and president in an Associated Press story.
Last week, the pope said he’d “never make a judgment about a person without hearing him out” when asked about the president. “I think they may be a little less different than we think,” said Joseph Capizzi, a professor of moral theology at the Catholic University of America.
“While the pope emphasizes humility, he, like Trump, is a savvy media personality. He and Trump both are effective at using the media. Instead, I think their agendas really don’t converge much, and thus I don’t see much opportunity for working partnership.”
Continue reading in Fox News.
To see more faculty comments on this and other topics, visit the University’s Experts Guide.