The Roman Catholic Church's highest-ranking diplomat offered congratulations to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday and wished him "great wisdom" as he prepares to return to the White House.

"We wish him great wisdom, because this is the main virtue of rulers according to the Bible," said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's Secretary of State.

"I believe that he must work above all to be president of the entire country, thus overcoming the polarization … which has been felt very, very clearly in this time," Parolin said on the sidelines of an event in Rome.

The cardinal's comments are the first public remarks from a Vatican official about Trump's comeback victory on Tuesday. Pope Francis, leader of the Catholic Church since March 2013, has previously criticised Trump's policies.

In September, the pontiff said Trump's plan to crack down on illegal immigration and deport millions of immigrants already in the United States was "against life". In 2016, Francis said Trump was "not Christian" in his views about migrants.