Pope Francis was speaking yesterday on his way back from his trip to Fatima, Portugal, where he marked the 100th anniversary of the famed Marian apparitions and officially declared two of the alleged witnesses as saints.
"I don't make a judgement of a person without listening [to them first]," the pope said, refusing to give an opinion of Trump in advance of their meeting, the first between the two leaders.
"I will say what I think, he will say what he thinks," he said. "I've never, never wanted to make a judgement of a person without listening to them."
Asked about any hopes of Trump softening his policies after their meeting, the pope said that was a political calculus he wouldn't get into: "Even from the religious point of view, I am not a proselytizer," he said.
The pope also said that there are always doors that "aren't closed", and that he'll work on finding things the two have in common, as a way to move forward.
"Step by step," he said. "Peace is . . . done day by day."
Journalists also asked the pontiff about Trump, specifically about what he hopes the outcome of the meeting will be. He answered by saying that from now on, everyone he speaks with should expect him to talk about peace.
Pope Francis is due to meet with Donald Trump on 24th May.