Pope Francis has sharply criticized both major US presidential candidates, labeling them as “against life” and advising Catholic voters to select the “lesser evil” in the upcoming November election. He expressed his views during a news conference concluding his 12-day tour of Southeast Asia.
The Pope condemned the treatment of migrants, which he implied was a criticism of former President Donald Trump, calling it a “grave” sin. He also denounced Kamala Harris’s stance on abortion, describing it as akin to “assassination.”
Though he did not name Trump or Harris directly, his comments were clear. Pope Francis urged American Catholics to vote, emphasizing that abstaining from voting is unacceptable. “You must choose the lesser evil. Who is the lesser evil? That lady, or that gentleman? I don’t know. Everyone, in conscience, has to think and do this,” he said.
The Pope has a history of criticizing Trump, previously branding him “not Christian” over his anti-immigrant rhetoric. Trump’s recent promises to deport millions of immigrants and Harris’s commitment to expanding abortion protections reflect the issues at the heart of the Pope’s comments.
Pope Francis’s remarks come days after Trump and Harris debated one another for the first time. The pair was expected to take the debate stage one more time before election day, but Trump has said he would not debate Harris again.
