Pope Francis on Friday called on Catholic voters to “choose the better” between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Pope criticized Harris' support for abortion rights as an “assassination,” while also scolding Trump, saying it is a “crime to be unwelcoming to immigrants.”
“We must choose the lesser evil,” Francis told reporters at a press conference aboard Papal Air Force One following a 12-day visit to Southeast Asia and Oceania. “Who is the lesser evil? That woman or that man? I don't know. Everyone must follow their conscience. [has to] Think about this and put it into practice.”
But he also said, “Not voting is ugly. It's not okay. You have to vote.”
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Pope Francis on Friday called on Catholic voters to “choose the better” between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. (Reuters)
Harris has said she wants to enact Roe v. Wade into law if elected, while Trump has promised “the largest mass deportation campaign in American history.”
The Pope did not say which candidate he personally supports.
Regarding abortion, he said, “This is assassination. We have to speak clearly about these things. No buts or howevers.”
Regarding President Trump's deportation plans, the Pope said, “It is a sin to not welcome immigrants. It is a serious sin.”
“Whether it's someone who turns away migrants or someone who kills children, both are acts against life,” he argued.
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Trump and Harris focused their positions on immigration and abortion during Tuesday's debate. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Trump also had a spat with the Pope in 2016 after the Pope claimed his plans to build a wall on the Mexican border were “unChristian”.
“I'm a very good Christian,” Trump said at a press conference at the time. “He's questioning my faith. And I'm very surprised by that.”
Pope Francis accused both Harris and Trump of being “anti-life” in their stances on abortion and illegal immigration. (REUTERS/Yara Nardi)
Trump said questioning someone's faith was “shameful” and that the Pope was being used as a “pawn” by the Mexican government.
The pope has previously criticized Biden's stance on abortion – Biden is Catholic but supports a woman's right to choose – and in a 2022 interview, the pope called it a “contradiction” and said he would leave it to Biden's “conscience.”
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There are more than 50 million Catholics in the United States, including significant numbers of voters in battleground states such as Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
