ROME — Pope Francis showcased the surprise meeting between Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un as an example of the “culture of encounter” that he has often touted.
“In the last few hours we have witnessed a good example of the culture of encounter in Korea,” Francis said following his weekly Angelus prayer on Sunday.
“I salute the protagonists, with the prayer that this significant gesture may constitute a further step in the path of peace, not only on that peninsula but in the whole world,” he said, referring to the two heads of state.
Mr. Trump stepped over the low stone curb that separates the two Koreas just before 4:00pm local time, making history by becoming the first sitting U.S. president to enter North Korea.
The pope has often been portrayed as anti-Trump, following the pontiff’s suggestionduring the campaign in 2016 that anyone who thinks of building walls rather than bridges is “no Christian.”