Global Christian leaders have joined with governmental heads in responding to President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.
Roman Catholic Cardinal Pietro Parolin told Vatican Radio that he sent congratulations to the Mr Trump and expressed his hope that “his government may bear real fruit”. He said it would be premature to comment on specific issues like immigration.
Meanwhile, Pope Francis called for “dialogue, mutual acceptance and fraternal cooperation” in a Tweet issued on Wednesday morning, the day after the US election. “May we make God’s merciful love ever more evident in our world through dialogue, mutual acceptance and fraternal cooperation,” he said.
Justin Welby, the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, said in a statement that as Mr Trump prepared to take office, “my continuing prayers are that the United States of America may find reconciliation after a bitter campaign, and that Mr Trump may be given wisdom, insight and grace as he faces the tasks before him”. “Together we pray for all the people of the United States.”
In the US, incumbent President Barack Obama called on Americans to support Mr Trump, saying he was “rooting for his success in leading and unifying the country”. “Everybody is sad when their side loses an election,” he said. “But we have to remember that we are all on the same team.”
Hillary Clinton, who had congratulated Mr Trump in a phone call on Tuesday night, appeared before supporters at about noon on Wednesday and gave a concession speech in which she urged her supporters to keep an open mind on Mr Trump and give him a chance to lead.
Noting that the experience had been painful and “will be for a long time”, Mrs Clinton said she hoped Mr Trump would be a “successful president for all Americans”.
Also in New York, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that in the “aftermath of a hard-fought and often-divisive campaign, it is worth recalling and reaffirming that the unity in diversity of the United States is one of the country’s greatest strengths”. “I encourage all Americans to stay true to that spirit.”
He also expressed his appreciation for former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for her lifetime commitment to peace, the advancement of women and the well-being of children. “She has been a powerful global symbol of women’s empowerment, and I have no doubt that she will continue to contribute to our work across the world,” he said.
In the UK, Prime Minister Theresa May offered her congratulations, saying the UK and US “will remain, strong and close partners on trade, security and defence”.
In Australia, Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull – in comments made on Wednesday night – congratulated Mr Trump and said he understood many in Australia had been confronted by the intensity of the election campaign in the US but said the US “has the capacity to come together” behind the president they had chosen.
He said Australia had no stronger relationship, whether it’s on the battlefield or in commerce, than that with the US and he had “great confidence” that it would continue.
Other world leaders to congratulate Mr Trump included Russian President Vladimir Putin, who sent a telegram in which he congratulated Mr Trump and reportedly expressed his hope “to work together for removing Russian-American relations from their crisis state”. Chinese President Xi Jinping said he looked forward to working with Mr Trump to promote ties between the two countries in a “constructive way”.
