'It's my hope...': Pope Francis offers Trump prayers for 'wisdom, strength'

Pope Francis on Monday offered well-wishes to US President-elect Donald Trump in a traditional message sent ahead of the presidential inauguration ceremony in Washington.

The pontiff, who has previously expressed sharp disagreement with Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, said he would pray that God grants Trump “wisdom, strength and protection” as he takes up the presidency again.

“It is my hope that under your leadership the American people will prosper and always strive to build a more just society, where there is no room for hatred, discrimination or exclusion,” said the pope.

Francis, leader of the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church since 2013, has used unusually forceful language in criticising Trump in recent years.

The pope’s congratulatory note comes a day after Francis said Trump’s reported plan to sharply intensify immigration enforcement actions across the US would be a “disgrace”.

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In an Italian television interview on Sunday, the pontiff said the plan would “make the migrants, who have nothing, pay the unpaid bill”.

Incoming Trump administration officials said on Saturday that the president-elect was reconsidering plans for immigration raids in Chicago, following reports about the plans.

During the 2016 election campaign, Francis said Trump was “not Christian” because of his views on immigration.