Pope Francis Criticizes Trump and Harris Over Key Issues
On Friday, Pope Francis publicly criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris for their respective stances on immigration and abortion. Speaking during a flight back to Rome from Singapore, the pontiff condemned Trump’s plan to deport millions of immigrants and Harris’s support for abortion rights.
Addressing the U.S. presidential election, Pope Francis described the refusal to welcome migrants as a “grave” sin and equated abortion to an “assassination.” He advised U.S. Catholics to “choose the lesser evil” when voting in November, without specifying further.
Francis made these comments during a press conference following a strenuous 12-day tour across Southeast Asia and Oceania. While he did not mention Trump and Harris by name, he made clear references to their policies and genders. Despite his criticisms, he insisted that Catholics should participate in the voting process.
“Not voting is ugly,” the 87-year-old pontiff stated. “It is not good. You must vote.” He added, “You must choose the lesser evil. Who is the lesser evil? That lady, or that gentleman? I don’t know. Everyone, in conscience, (has to) think and do this.”
With approximately 52 million American Catholics, who are often seen as pivotal swing voters, Francis’ comments carry significant weight. Notably, in key battleground states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, more than 20% of adults identify as Catholic.
The leader of about 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide tends to avoid engaging in national political elections but often speaks out strongly against abortion, which is prohibited by Catholic doctrine. He has also been critical of Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric in the past. During the 2016 election, he remarked that Trump was “not Christian” in his views.
On Friday, Francis stated that the policies of both candidates are “against life.” He elaborated, “Whether it is the one who is chasing away migrants, or the one who kills children, both are against life.”
Trump has pledged to intensify measures against illegal immigration and deport millions of immigrants if re-elected. He has also left the possibility of building detention camps for undocumented immigrants open. Meanwhile, Harris has committed to signing any congressional legislation that restores nationwide protections for abortion access, which the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision had eliminated.
The two candidates debated these issues on Wednesday, with polls indicating a tight race and Harris holding a slight lead.
Pope Francis emphasized immigration as “a right,” citing Bible passages that highlight the need to care for orphans, widows, and foreigners. “Not giving welcome to migrants is a sin,” he asserted. “It is grave.”
On abortion, the pope was unequivocal, describing it as “killing a human being” and “an assassination.” He emphasized, “On these things, we must speak clearly. No ‘but’ or ‘however.'”
This alignment of political priorities has been a topic of discussion among U.S. bishops, who have consistently issued election guidance since 2007-08, with recent updates. Their latest version, released with a new introduction in November 2023, highlights the “threat of abortion” as a “preeminent priority” for Catholics.
