During his presidential campaign, the US president-elect promised to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.
Pope Francis has denounced Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans, calling the president-elect’s initiative a “disgrace.”
In a Sunday interview with Italian broadcaster Nove, the Pope responded to questions about the incoming Trump administration’s planned immigration executive orders aimed at removing undocumented immigrants. This deportation pledge was a central tenet of Trump’s election platform.
“Should this happen, it will be shameful, as it unfairly burdens the destitute with an impossible debt. This is unacceptable; it’s not a solution,” Pope Francis stated.
Advocating for migrants has been a hallmark of Francis’ papacy; he has consistently stressed the importance of welcoming and integrating them into society. The 88-year-old pontiff told the broadcaster he hadn’t spoken with Trump since his November election victory. He also encouraged nations with declining birthrates to embrace more immigrants.
Meanwhile, Trump, set to be inaugurated on Monday, has vowed to commence the deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants on his first day in office, characterizing “the largest deportation program in American history” as a key campaign promise.
This is not the first instance of disagreement between Francis and Trump regarding immigration policies.
In 2016, Francis, the first Latin American Pope, criticized Trump’s proposal to construct a wall along the US-Mexico border, asserting that a “person who focuses solely on building walls, wherever they may be, instead of bridges, is not Christian.”
Trump retorted by calling the Pope “disgraceful” and “highly political.” However, they appeared to reconcile in 2017 when the Republican visited the Vatican, describing the visit as “the honor of a lifetime.”
Nevertheless, as Trump returns to the White House, Pope Francis appears poised to adopt a critical stance toward the new US administration, signified by the appointment of Cardinal Robert McElroy as the next Archbishop of Washington, DC. McElroy has publicly declared that mass deportation of immigrants is “incompatible with Catholic doctrine,” according to CNN.