Trump and Mexican Politicians Thought the Pope's Visit Was All About Them Rafa Fernandez De Castro - Fusion
go to original February 23, 2016

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and his wife greeted the Pope upon his arrival in Mexico City. (Associated Press)

Donald Trump and Mexico’s ruling elite have something in common: They both seem to think the pope’s recent visit to the Aztec nation was all about them. The Republican frontrunner and veteran narcissist stole headlines shortly after the pope departed Mexico last week by suggesting the pontiff had been used as a “pawn” by the Mexican government to try to derail his presidential campaign. But even before Trump tried to make the pope’s visit all about him, Mexican politicians were doing the same thing by turning the pontiff’s trip into their own VIP photo-op.

As Mexican columnist Raymundo Riva Palacio put it, Francis was essentially “kidnapped” by the Mexican government, whose VIP guest list and excessive security protocols at times kept the pontiff far removed from the Catholic faithful he had come to see.

The Mexican government’s preferential option for the privileged was on full display during most of Francis’ scheduled events around the country. At Mexico City’s iconic Virgin of Guadalupe basilica, where the pope talked about the poor as being ambassadors of faith, President Enrique Peña Nieto, his family, ministers and celebrity guests were given the best seats in the front of the church, as the hoards of devote Mexicans waited outside in the sun watching the mass on giant screens. Even priests, nuns and church volunteers had a hard time getting tickets to see their leader.

Read the rest at Fusion

Related: The Pope vs. Trump: Let the One Who Is Without Walls Throw the First Stone (The Huffington Post)

Related: Trump: NY Times Against Me Because 'It's Owned by Mexico' (Newsmax)

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