ROME, Italy (AFP) — Pope Francis, back in Rome after an extensive 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific region, made headlines on Friday by criticizing U.S. presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, accusing them both of being “against life.”
At 87 years old, the Pope’s remarks came as he concluded his longest trip in both duration and distance since becoming the leader of the world’s nearly 1.4 billion Roman Catholics over a decade ago. The tour took him from the lush jungles of Papua New Guinea to the bustling cityscape of Singapore.
Despite his extensive travels and health concerns, Pope Francis engaged in a lengthy and passionate discussion with journalists aboard the papal plane during the return journey from Singapore. His remarks on the U.S. elections drew significant attention as he addressed the policies of Trump and Harris.
Regarding Trump, the Pope criticized the former president’s stance on immigration, stating, “The one who discards migrants and the one who kills children. Both are against life.” Trump’s immigration policies, which include plans to round up and deport illegal immigrants, were highlighted as part of his opposition to the sanctity of life.
Pope Francis also targeted Kamala Harris for her support of abortion rights. Harris has pledged to restore abortion rights following the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, which had previously protected abortion rights nationwide. “Both are against life,” the Pope said, referring to both candidates’ policies.
When asked to choose between the two candidates, Pope Francis suggested that voters must “choose the lesser of two evils” and make decisions based on their personal conscience.
In response to the Pope’s comments, Karine Jean-Pierre, spokeswoman for President Joe Biden — who is also a Roman Catholic — stated, “Obviously the Pope speaks for himself, and I don’t have any more comments.” She added that she had not discussed the Pope’s remarks with President Biden.
