Yesterday, Donald Trump met with Pope Francis at the Vatican, in a meeting described as awkward but not openly hostile.

Mr Trump and Pope Francis have expressed opposing views in the past, especially on issues such as immigration, religion, race and climate change.

Last year, when Trump said he would build a wall preventing those south of the border from crossing into the US, the Pope questioned Trump's faith, saying that a man who thinks about building walls and not bridges is "not Christian". 

Trump responded, saying that it was disgraceful that the Pope would call his faith into question.

"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," he said.

The pair exchanged gifts and reportedly discussed terrorism, climate change and peace.

The Pope gave Donald Trump a medal featuring an olive branch and three bound papal documents, which included his 2015 encyclical titled Laudato Si on the need to protect the environment. The Pope told Donald Trump that he signed the message "personally for you".

Upon receipt of the olive branch medal, Mr Trump said "We can use peace" and on receipt of the bound documnets, he said he would read the books.

Mr Trump presented the pontiff with a custom-bound first-edition set of Martin Luther King Jr's works, an engraved stone from the King Memorial and a bronze sculpture.

"I think you'll enjoy them. I hope you do," Mr Trump said.

When asked how his meeting with the Pope went, Mr Trump replied: "He is something. He is really good. We had a fantastic meeting."

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