Free Republic

Until a few days ago, it was a tasty but obscure cake from Slovenia. But a quip by Pope Francis about Donald Trump's girth catapulted the Slovenian dessert putizza, also known as potica, to international attention. Now Slovenia has decided to capitalise on the dessert’s new-found fame by seeking official European Union recognition for the toothsome treat so that authentic recipes are not messed around with. It's being dubbed “the Melania effect” - it was to the First Lady that the Pope made the joke last Wednesday, when the Trumps visited the Vatican for the first time as part of...

President Trump just landed in Rome, the next destination on the president's four-nation, five-stop tour of the Middle East and Europe, after wrapping up a two-day visit to Israel.(snip) President Trump meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Wednesday. The White House said Mr. Trump will celebrate the Catholic religion, as well as the contributions of Catholics to the U.S., and the president said in his weekly address that he was looking forward to talking with the Pope about "how Christian teachings can help put the world on a path to justice, freedom, and peace." This language is a...

In what can only be described as a cordial, successful meeting, Pope Francis received U.S. President Donald Trump in the Vatican Wednesday amidst smiles, handshakes and camera flashes. The two leaders sat down for a half-hour face-to-face meeting, with the Pope leaning out over the table with his arms extended toward the President. On parting ways at the end of the meeting, the President thanked the Pope for his warm welcome, stating, “I won’t forget what you said.” In its official press release, the Vatican described the meeting as “cordial” and said the two men spoke favorably of “the good...

Full article title: "Melania and Ivanka wear black veils to meet the Pope at the Vatican after deciding not to wear head scarfs on Saudi visit (just like Michelle Obama) - as Pope asks the first lady if she's feeding Trump cake" First Lady Melania Trump and the president's daughter, Ivanka, dressed in all black and wore veils to meet Pope Francis on Wednesday, just as former First Lady Michelle Obama did when she met Pope Benedict. The women traveled to the Vatican on Wednesday with President Donald Trump, who was meeting with Francis for one of his most high-profile...

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump's first trip abroad (all times local): 2:23 p.m. President Donald Trump says meeting with Pope Francis was the "honor of a lifetime." Trump tweeted Wednesday that a private meeting with the pontiff at the Vatican leaves him "more determined than ever to pursue PEACE in our world."(continued)