ROME (AP) – Nearly a decade after calling Donald Trump “not a Christian” for wanting to build a wall, Pope Francis referred to the president-elect's pledge to stop mass immigration. He said the plan to impose deportations would be “disgraceful”. Along the US-Mexico border.
Francisco made the comments during an evening talk show appearance, and on Monday he publicly congratulated Trump on his inauguration. Francis said he prayed that the United States would realize its ideals of becoming “a nation of opportunity and welcoming to all.”
“I hope that under your leadership the American people will prosper and always strive to build a more just society with no room for hatred, discrimination, or exclusion,” he wrote in the Telegram.
The first Latin American pope appeared on Italy's popular talk show Che Tempo Che Fa on Sunday night and was asked about the Trump administration's deportation pledge.
“If true, this is shameful, because poor, poor people who have nothing will be made to pay for this,” Francis said. “This is no good! This is not the way to solve things. It doesn't solve things.”
President Trump, who takes office on Monday, has made mass deportation a centerpiece of his campaign, promising a raft of orders from day one to reshape immigration policy.
During his first presidential campaign in 2016, Francisco was asked about President Trump's plans to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. After celebrating mass along the border, Francis famously said that those who build walls to keep out migrants are “not Christians.”
Many U.S. bishops have firmly opposed Mr. Trump's deportation plan, and Cardinal Robert McElroy, the incoming archbishop of Washington, D.C., has said such a policy is “incompatible with Catholic doctrine.” It was a reference to the Bible's call to “welcome the stranger.”
Chicago Cardinal Blas Cupich, another cardinal close to Francis, said reports of mass deportations targeting the Chicago area were “not only deeply disturbing but also deeply hurting us.” Ta.
In a statement released Sunday from the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, Cupich said governments have a responsibility to protect their borders and communities.
“But we are also committed to protecting the rights of all people and protecting their human dignity,” he said in a statement.
Mr. Francisco, who grew up in Argentina in a family of Italian immigrants, has long prioritized the plight of immigrants, calling on governments to welcome, protect and integrate them wherever possible. He said the dignity and rights of immigrants take precedence over national security concerns.
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This version corrects the spelling of Cupich's first name.
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