Donald Trump’s prominent front-row seat at Pope Francis’ funeral didn’t shield him from a pointed message—delivered from beyond the grave.

During the widely televised funeral, attended by world leaders including France’s Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s Keir Starmer, and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re delivered a homily that subtly but unmistakably echoed Pope Francis’ lifetime criticism of Trump’s border wall policies.

Without mentioning Trump by name, Cardinal Re recalled Pope Francis’ famous plea: “Build bridges, not walls.” Francis had repeated this phrase often, urging leaders to seek peaceful and compassionate solutions rather than division and isolation.

The reminder came at a particularly symbolic moment. Before the funeral, Trump had been mobbed by European leaders pressing him on diplomacy—ultimately leading to a brief sit-down with Zelensky and a promise from the White House for further talks after the service. But the moment that captured the attention of millions watching worldwide was the homily’s indirect yet unmistakable rebuke.

The late Pope and Trump had a tumultuous relationship stretching back to 2016 when Francis publicly criticized Trump’s plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Pope said that anyone who thinks only of building walls rather than bridges “is not Christian.” Trump fired back angrily, calling it “disgraceful” for a religious leader to question his faith and suggesting that Mexico’s political interests were manipulating the Pope.

Though the two men met cordially in 2017, tensions remained. Pope Francis continued to speak out against Trump’s rhetoric and policies on immigration, climate change, and refugees. Trump’s allies, meanwhile, often accused the Pope of straying from spiritual matters into political activism, pointing to the Vatican’s fortified walls as evidence of supposed hypocrisy.

Yet Francis never backed down from his position that Christians are called to welcome the stranger, defend the vulnerable, and pursue peace. His funeral, with Cardinal Re’s carefully chosen words, served as a final reaffirmation of that legacy.

In the years since their initial clash, Trump’s return to the political stage has only reignited the feud. Pope Francis had publicly denounced proposals for mass deportations as “a disgrace,” reinforcing his view that Christian leadership demands mercy, not exclusion.

As millions around the globe watched the solemn ceremonies honoring Pope Francis, the message was clear: His call to build bridges, not walls, endures—even in death.

And for those paying attention, it was also clear that Trump, seated just feet away, was among those being challenged to hear it.