▁that ▁this ▁statement ▁was ▁" not ▁mere ▁na iv ete " ▁but ▁also ▁exempl ified ▁" the ▁way ▁in ▁which ▁def enses ▁of ▁the ▁" common ▁good " ▁sometimes ▁s lip ▁into ▁apolog ias ▁for ▁author itar ian ism ". ▁Card inal ▁Joseph ▁Z en ▁described ▁the ▁V at ican - Ch ina ▁agreement , ▁intended ▁to ▁normal ize ▁the ▁situation ▁of ▁China ' s ▁C athol ics , ▁as ▁a ▁steps ▁towards ▁the ▁" ann ih ilation " ▁of ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁in ▁China . ▁ ▁U . S . ▁president ▁Donald ▁Trump ▁ ▁Since ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁Francis ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁contrast ed ▁with ▁US ▁President ▁Donald ▁Trump , ▁elected ▁that ▁year , ▁with ▁some ▁conserv ative ▁critics ▁drawing ▁compar isons ▁between ▁the ▁two . ▁During ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁United ▁States ▁president ial ▁election , ▁Francis ▁said ▁of ▁Trump , ▁" A ▁person ▁who ▁only ▁thinks ▁about ▁building ▁walls , ▁wherever ▁they ▁may ▁be , ▁and ▁not ▁building ▁brid ges , ▁is ▁not ▁Christian . ▁That ▁is ▁not ▁the ▁g ospel ." ▁Trump ▁respond ed , ▁" For ▁a ▁religious ▁leader ▁to ▁question ▁a ▁person ' s ▁faith ▁is ▁dis gra ce ful ." ▁Feder ico ▁Lomb ardi ▁said ▁that ▁Francis ' ▁comments ▁were ▁not ▁" a ▁personal ▁attack , ▁nor ▁an ▁indic ation ▁of ▁who ▁to ▁vote ▁for ". ▁ ▁Venez uel an ▁crisis ▁ ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁criticism ▁from ▁Venezuela ' s ▁b ish ops , ▁President ▁Nicol ás ▁Mad uro ▁said ▁in