Is Melania Trump religious? Ex-FLOTUS revealed she was Catholic after Pope Francis blessed her rosary in 2017
Melania Trump had announced in 2017 that she was a devout Catholic after her official visit to the Vatican with her husband Donald Trump. At the time, Melania had even requested and been granted a private audience with Pope Francis when he had blessed her rosary.
It was her spokesperson Stephanie Grisham who had confirmed that she was an adherent. It is interesting that she is the first practicing Catholic to have stayed in the White House since John F Kennedy and his wife Jackie in the early 1960s. The Kennedys were received by Pope John XXIII in 1962.
RELATED ARTICLES
Melania finds it 'hard not to show her emotions' after realizing Trump 'isn't good for her': Expert
After Melania Trump met the Pope, she visited the Vatican-owned Bambino Gesù (Baby Jesus) Hospital where she was seen praying in the chapel. She was also seen reading to a patient, a young Greek boy, who needed a heart donor.
She was also seen laying flowers at the feet of a statue of Madonna. Other than the usual official statements, she had also tweeted: "Today's visit with His Holiness Pope Francis @Pontifex is one I'll never forget. I was humbled by the honor. Blessings to all.”
Today's visit with His Holiness Pope Francis @Pontifex is one I'll never forget. I was humbled by the honor. Blessings to all. pic.twitter.com/NiomkFQqJb
— Melania Trump 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) May 24, 2017
Trump, on the other hand, reportedly seemed stiff in the pontiff's company. After all, the two of them had had a long-running social media spat, but during the visit, it seemed that both Trump and the pontiff became comfortable once they exchanged presents. Trump also said that this was an “honor of a lifetime”.
At the time, there were massive security precautions taken in Rome to facilitate the visit of then-president Trump and his wife, Melania. The areas around the presidential palace, Vatican City, the American ambassador's residence, and the US embassy were temporarily closed.
Melania being Catholic, however, is not surprising as she hails from Slovenia -- where most people are predominantly practicing Catholics. However, Donald Trump is a Presbyterian and she married Trump in 2005 at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Palm Beach, Florida. In fact, she along with her husband are known to have celebrated Easter services there as well.
This was, however, not the first time that Melania had referenced the religion. Melania opened her introduction to the president at a Florida rally in February 2017 by saying, "Let us pray," to the crowd, and then she even went on to recite the Lord's Prayer. At this time, not only the audience but Trump too seemed surprised. Later, when he took the podium, he said, "I didn't know that Melania was going to be saying the Lord's Prayer, but I thought that was beautiful, thank you."
While Graham had confirmed that Melania was Catholic, she did not respond any further about her religious practices. She would not comment regarding how the couple would raise their son, and if he would be brought up to believe in the Catholic faith. Details about if Melania regularly attends Mass have also never been revealed.