Pope Francis says Donald Trump is ‘not Christian’ •Pope’s comment disgraceful - Trump

Pope Francis took umbrage at comments Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has made about immigrants, saying in an interview that the real estate mogul was “not Christian.”

According to ABC News, the pope’s strong dismissal of Trump was in response to measures Trump has proposed on the campaign trail, including building a wall along the United States-Mexican border and deporting millions of undocumented immigrants living and working in the United States.

When asked by a reporter, “Can a good Catholic vote for this man?” Francis responded by saying, “Thank God he said I was a politician, because Aristotle defined the human person as ‘animal politicus.’ So at least I am a human person. As to whether I am a pawn well, maybe, I don’t know. I’ll leave that up to your judgment and that of the people.”

He continued: “And then, a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the gospel. As far as what you said about whether I would advise to vote or not to vote, I am not going to get involved in that. I say only that this man is not Christian if he said things like that.”

We must see if he said things in that way and in this I give the benefit of the doubt.”

The pope made these remarks before he concluded his visit to Mexico, which included a public Mass at the U.S.-Mexico border. Tens of thousands of people from both countries gathered for Mass.

Trump responded to the pope’s comments on Thursday, in South Carolina, telling supporters he is “a good Christian.”

“If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which as everyone knows is ISIS’ ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald trump would have been president,” Trump said.

“For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful,” Trump added.

Even before the pope’s comments were released today, Trump had already taken issue with the pope’s trip to Mexico, arguing that the pontiff was playing politics.

In an interview with Fox Business, Trump called Pope Francis “a very political person.”

“I don’t think he understands the danger of the open border we have with Mexico,” Trump said.

During his candidacy announcement, Trump said Mexican immigrants are “bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

Pope Francis says Donald Trump is ‘not Christian’ •Pope’s comment disgraceful - Trump

Assassination Prophesy: Group threatens to drag Mbaka to Pope Francis

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has dismissed the prophesy of the Founder, Adoration Ministries Enugu, Rev. Father Ejike Mbaka, alleging assassination attempt on President Muhammadu Buhari by corrupt politicians as “sensationalism and rumour peddling.

Father Mbaka

In a statement signed jointly by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, the group asked the Catholic Bishops Conference (CBCN) to sanction Rev. Father Mbaka within 21 days for abandoning his sacred vocation and deviating into the mundane roadside career of politics, while he hid under the canopy of his priestly vocation, failing which he will be dragged to the Holy Father Pope Francis.

Mbaka, had during his New Year Prophetic Message at Adoration Ground, where thousands of faithful converged for supplication on January 1, 2016, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to be on his guard, prophesying that alleged beneficiaries of massive corruption perpetrated during ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration would plot to kill him.

“Mbaka should cover his face in shame for displaying gross ignorance of the workings of the democratic and law based tenets and provisions of the constitution which deems suspects brought before the court of competent jurisdiction as totally innocent in the eye of the law until contrary determination is made by the Court in line with due process of the law.

“Is Fr Mbaka a judge who has passed presiding over cases of alleged graft involving any immediate past political office holder and adjudged them guilty of corrupt practices? Is Fr Mbaka unaware that as the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces that President Muhammadu Buhari is the most protected citizen in Nigeria now with hundreds of well armed and highly trained professional guards drawn from the Nigerian Military and the Secret Police headed by President Muhammadu Buhari’s kinsman?

“Is Fr Mbaka unaware that Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari is waging a counter-terror war and that the armed Islamists have vowed in several media recordings to kill not just the Commander in chief but officials of government? This Mbaka’s whitewash must be consigned to the dustbins without further delay,” HURIWA said.

Assassination Prophesy: Group threatens to drag Mbaka to Pope Francis

Pope Francis "was target of arrested 15-year-old"s alleged Isis-inspired attack"

US authorities arrested a 15-year-old last month for allegedly plotting an Islamic State-inspired attack that targeted Pope Francis, according to ABC News.

Pope Francis

Francis is scheduled to visit the US from 22-27 September for the first time, in a tour culminating with an outdoor mass in Philadelphia after stops in Washington and New York.

The US Department of Homeland Security and the FBI disclosed the unidentified 15-year-old’s arrest in a joint intelligence bulletin 14 August, without mentioning that the pope was the target.

“The minor was inspired by Isil and sought to conduct a detailed homeland attack which included multiple attackers, firearms and multiple explosives, targeting a foreign dignitary at a high-profile event.

“The minor obtained explosives instructions and further disseminated these instructions through social media,” it said.

ABC News cited unnamed sources as saying the “foreign dignitary” referred to in the statement was Pope Francis, and that the boy was arrested near Philadelphia.

Isil is an alternate acronym for the Islamic State, the extremist group also known as Isis which is engaged in atrocity-filled campaigns to establish a “caliphate” in Syria and Iraq.

The papal visit poses enormous security challenges for US authorities tasked with protecting a religious leader known for his popular touch and love of crowds.

In Philadelphia, two million people are expected to turn out for an open air Sunday mass outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, at the close of an event billed by the Vatican as a World Meeting of Families.

Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, said Sunday that US authorities had broken up a threat against the pope, but gave no details.

“We’re monitoring very closely threats against the pope as he comes into the United States. We have disrupted one particular case,” McCaul told ABC’s This Week show.

The joint FBI-Homeland Security statement cited the case of the 15-year-old as an example of how “some youth are vulnerable to messaging from Isil”.

But ABC said its sources had said the boy did not pose an imminent threat, his plans were “aspirational”, and there were questions about his mental health.

Nevertheless, he was charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, namely Isis, the government said.

Pope Francis "was target of arrested 15-year-old"s alleged Isis-inspired attack"