Janice R. Andrews
Pope Francis told Catholics in the US to “choose the lesser evil” in the upcoming presidential race, which is between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. This is what the Pope said at a news meeting on Friday while on his papal plane, after a 12-day tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania.
In a speech about important moral problems, Pope Francis said that Harris’s view on abortion was “an assassination.” Speaking about issues like abortion, he made it clear that there is no room for doubt, saying, “We must speak clearly, no ‘but’ or ‘however’.” On the other hand, the pope also spoke out against Trump’s strict immigration policies, calling his refusal to accept migrants “a grave sin.”
There was only one bad choice, the Pope told the press. He didn’t say which candidate he personally supports. Instead, he told Catholics to think about it carefully and vote based on their beliefs. “Which is the worse thing?” That woman or that man? “I don’t know,” he said, letting each person make their own choice.
Furthermore, the Pope stressed how important it is for Catholics to vote and said that not voting is not a choice that is good. His words come at a very important time because millions of Catholic voters, especially in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, could make or break the 2024 U.S. election.
This is not the first time Pope Francis has talked about politics in the United States. In 2016, he didn’t agree with Trump about building a wall along the border with Mexico. He called Trump’s plan “un-Christian.” In the same way, he has criticised President Joe Biden’s views on abortion in the past.
