On March 28, 2024, Pope Francis attended the Chrism Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
Guglielmo Mangiapane | Reuters
Pope Francis on Friday criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to deport millions of immigrants and Vice President Kamala Harris’ support for abortion rights.
Asked about the US presidential election on a flight back from Singapore to Rome, the pope said not welcoming immigrants was a “grave” sin and likened abortion to “assassination.”
He said American Catholics must “choose the lesser of two evils” when they vote in November, without elaborating.
Francis delivered the speech at a press conference after concluding a 12-day trip to Southeast Asia and Oceania. Although the pope did not use Trump and Harris’ names, he specifically mentioned their policies and gender. Despite criticizing both candidates, he said Catholics should vote.
“Not voting is ugly,” the 87-year-old pope said. “This is not good. You have to vote.”
“You have to choose the lesser of two evils,” he said. “Who is the lesser evil? That lady, or that gentleman? I don’t know. Everyone, in good conscience, (must) think and do this.”
American Catholics, who number about 52 million nationwide, are often seen as crucial swing voters. In some swing states, including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, more than 20 percent of adults are Catholic.
Francis, the leader of some 1.4 billion Catholics around the world, is typically wary of participating in national political elections. But he was often sharply critical of abortion, which is prohibited by Catholic doctrine. He has also previously criticized Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric. During the 2016 election, he said Trump was “not a Christian” in his views.
On Friday, Francis said both candidates’ policies were “pro-life.”
“Whether it is those who deport immigrants or those who kill children,” the pope said. “Both are pro-life.”
Trump has promised to crack down on illegal immigration and deport millions of immigrants already in the United States if he is re-elected. He also refused to rule out the possibility of establishing detention camps for undocumented immigrants.
Harris pledged to sign any legislation passed by Congress to restore state protections for abortion, but the Supreme Court struck down that bill in the 2022 Dobbs decision.
The two candidates sparred over both issues in their first debate on Wednesday. Most polls show the race to be a close race, with Harris slightly ahead.
The pope called immigration “a right” and cited biblical verses naming orphans, widows and foreigners as three types of people society must care for.
“It is a sin not to welcome immigrants,” the pope said. “It is serious.”
Francis said abortion “is killing a person”. He said there is no excuse for abortion. “This was an assassination,” he said. “We have to be clear on these things. There is no ‘but’ or ‘however’.”
Balancing political priorities has become a topic of discussion among U.S. bishops, who have issued similar election guidance, with some updates, every presidential cycle since 2007-08.
Their latest edition, released in November 2023, features a new introduction stating that “the threat of abortion” is a “top priority” for Catholics.
