Pope Francis advises Catholic voters to select the lesser of two evils when choosing between Trump and Harris.

Both presidential candidates were criticized by Pope Francis for being "pro-death" in their positions on abortion and immigration.

Pope Francis advises Catholic voters to select the lesser of two evils when choosing between Trump and Harris.
Pope Francis advises Catholic voters to select the lesser of two evils when choosing between Trump and Harris.

On Friday, Pope Francis advised Catholic voters to select the "lesser evil" between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The pope condemned Harris' stance on abortion as a "murder" and criticized Trump for not accepting migrants, calling it a "sin."

"In a press conference held from his papal airplane after a 12-day tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania, Francis told reporters, "You must choose the lesser evil. Who is the lesser evil? That lady or that gentleman? I don't know. Everyone, in conscience, must think and do this.""

He added, "Not voting is unattractive and wrong. It is essential to vote."

A split of Harris, Trump and the pope
Pope Francis urged Catholic voters on Friday to "choose the lesser evil" between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. (Reuters)

If elected, Harris intends to enshrine Roe v. Wade into law, while Trump has pledged to carry out the largest mass deportation in American history.

The pope did not reveal his preference for either candidate.

He stated that abortion is an assassination and it is crucial to speak about it clearly without any ambiguity or qualifications.

The pope stated that not welcoming migrants is a grave sin.

"Whether it is the one who chases away migrants or the one who kills children, both are against life," he stated.

Trump and Harris on Philadelphia debate stage
Trump and Harris made their positions on immigration and abortion a focus of their debate on Tuesday. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In 2016, the pope criticized Trump's plan to build a wall along the Mexican border, stating that it was "not Christian."

"In a news conference, Trump stated, "I am a very good Christian, and I was taken aback by the questioning of my faith.""

Child kissing the pope
Pope Francis accused both Harris and Trump of being "against life" in their stances on abortion and illegal immigration. (Reuters/Yara Nardi    )

Trump labeled questioning someone's faith as "shameful," asserting that the pope was being manipulated by the Mexican government.

The pope has previously criticized President Biden's stance on abortion, stating that it is an "incoherence" for a Catholic to support a woman's right to choose. In a 2022 interview, Francis said that he would leave it to Biden's "conscience" to decide on the issue.

In the U.S., more than 50 million Catholics are present, with a significant number of them being voters in crucial swing states such as Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

by Brie Stimson

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