Pope Francis Takes On Donald Trump, Who Calls Pontiff 'Disgraceful'

Pope Francis suggested Thursday that Donald Trump “is not Christian” because of grand plans to have Mexico pay for a wall on the U.S. border.

Trump, not one to keep his powder dry, lashed back at the pope, saying the pontiff was a “pawn” of Mexico who will hope Trump is president when ISIS attacks the Vatican.

Francis held a press conference Thursday aboard his papal airliner after a six-day visit to Mexico. When a reporter asked him about Trump, he said, “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian.”

Trump responded almost immediately, calling Francis “disgraceful,” in a statement posted to his website.

“If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which as everyone knows is ISIS’s ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been President because this would not have happened,” the statement said. “ISIS would have been eradicated unlike what is happening now with our all talk, no action politicians.”

Francis held Mass near the Mexican border during his visit and placed flowers near the Rio Grande in memory of people who have died crossing the border. During Mass, more than 200,000 people “listened to the pope call for compassion for immigrants fleeing chaos, poverty and war,” the New York Times reported.

Trump has consistently touted plans to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to help curb illegal immigration, a message that has resonated strongly with his fervent followers.

He told the New York Times’ editorial board that at his rallies, “If it gets a little boring, if I see people starting to sort of, maybe thinking about leaving, I can sort of tell the audience, I just say, ‘We will build the wall!’ and they go nuts.”

“Amazing comments from the Pope- considering Vatican City is 100% surrounded by massive walls,” Trump senior advisor Dan Scavino tweeted Thursday.

Construction on the Vatican City walls began in the year 846, according to the History Channel, and was completed in the 1640s.

In announcing his candidacy back in June, Trump said of Mexican immigrants to the United states, “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”

Francis said he “was not going to get involved” in trying to influence the Republican elections.

“I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that,” Francis said. “We must see if he said things in that way and in this I give the benefit of the doubt.”

In response, Trump called Francis a “pawn,” saying he has been working Mexico against the United States.

“The Pope only heard one side of the story — he didn’t see the crime, the drug trafficking and the negative economic impact the current policies have on the United States,” the statement said. “He doesn’t see how Mexican leadership is outsmarting President Obama and our leadership in every aspect of negotiation.”

Trump also put Francis on blast for questioning his religion.

“For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful,” Trump’s statement said. He continued, “No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith.”

Trump, in an attack on Cruz, said Friday, “How can Ted Cruz be an Evangelical Christian when he lies so much and is so dishonest?”

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates as they are added.

Images: Donald Trump via Michael Vadon/Wikimedia Commons | Pope Francis courtesy of Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.