In a Thursday post on Facebook, the Rev. Franklin Graham defended Donald Trump’s support for building a wall along the United States border with Mexico, and called on Pope Francis to “build a bridge” to the Republican presidential candidate.
The Pope on Thursday said that anyone who wants to build walls, rather than bridges, “is not Christian” when asked about Donald Trump.
“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Pope Francis said. “This is not in the Gospel.”
Trump quickly denounced the Pope’s comments as “disgraceful.”
Graham did not go as far as Trump, but defended calls to build a border wall.
“I agree that as Christians we should try to build bridges with everyone that we possibly can, but that doesn’t mean that we should compromise our national security,” Graham wrote.
The reverend wrote that numerous presidential candidates support building a wall “in order to protect America from enemies who want to use the U.S./Mexican border as a way to enter our country and do us harm.”
“Are they not Christian either? My advice to the Pontiff—reach out and build a bridge to Donald Trump,” Graham wrote. “Who knows where he may be this time next year!”
Jerry Falwell Jr., the president of Liberty University who has endorsed Trump, also defended Trump from the Pope on Thursday.
“I think the Pope is mistaken,” Falwell told CNN. “I do believe Trump’s a Christian.”
