Pope Francis attends Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, March 28, 2024, in the Vatican.
Guglielmo Mangiapane | Reuters
Pope Francis on Friday criticized both former US President Donald Trump for his plan to deport millions of immigrants and Vice President Kamala Harris for her support for abortion rights.
Answering a question about the US presidential elections while returning from Singapore to Rome, the Pope said that not welcoming migrants is a “grave” sin and likened abortion to “conspiracy”.
He said U.S. Catholics will have to choose “the lesser evil” when they vote in November.
Francis spoke to journalists at a press conference after a 12-day trip to Southeast Asia and Oceania. Although the pope did not use the names of Trump and Harris, he specifically referred to their politics and sexuality. Although he criticized both candidates, he said that Catholics should vote.
“Not voting is ugly,” said the 87-year-old pontiff. “Not good. You have to vote.”
“You should choose the smaller one,” he said. “Who is less evil? The lady or the gentleman? I don’t know. Everyone should honestly think and do it.”
American Catholics, numbering about 52 million nationwide, are often seen as important choice voters. In some battleground states, including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, more than 20% of adults are Catholic.
Francis, the leader of some 1.4 billion Catholics globally, usually focuses on national political elections. However, he often strongly criticizes abortion, which is prohibited by Catholic teaching. He has previously criticized Trump’s anti-immigrant speech. During the 2016 election, he said that Trump was “not a Christian” in his views.
On Friday, Francis said the policies of both candidates were “contrary to life.”
“Whether it’s the one who expels migrants or the one who kills children,” the Pope said. “Both are against life.”
Trump has promised to crack down on illegal immigration and deport millions of immigrants already in the United States if elected for a second term. He also refused to rule out the construction of detention camps for undocumented immigrants.
Harris has vowed to sign any legislation Congress passes to restore national protections for access to abortion that were struck down by the Supreme Court in the 2022 Dobbs decision.
The two candidates discussed both issues in their first debate together on Wednesday. Most polls show a tight race, with Harris slightly ahead.
The pope called immigration a “right,” referring to biblical passages that name orphans, widows and foreigners as three types of people society should care for.
“It is a sin not to welcome migrants,” the Pope said. “It’s heavy.”
Francis said abortion “kills people”. He said that there can be no excuse for abortion. “It’s a conspiracy,” he said. “We must speak clearly on these issues. No “but” or “but”.
Balancing political priorities has become a topic of discussion among the U.S. bishops, who have issued a similar election guide with some updates every presidential term since 2007-08.
Their latest version, released with a new presentation in November 2023, says the “threat of abortion” is a “top priority” for Catholics.
