Pope Francis issues sharp criticism of Trump
Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of Catholics and Head of State of the Vatican, has sharply criticized United States (US) President Donald Trump's policy of deporting irregular migrants, stating that deporting people who were forced to leave their homelands damages their dignity.
AA
According to a written statement from the Vatican, the Pope evaluated the immigration policies in the US in a letter sent to American bishops.
In his letter, the Pope alluded to the irregular migration policy pursued by US President Donald Trump without naming him, stating, "I have closely followed the great crisis experienced with the initiation of a mass deportation program in the US. A properly formed conscience cannot refrain from making a critical judgment and expressing disagreement with any measure that explicitly or implicitly defines the illegal status of some migrants as a crime."
Pope Francis stated, "Deporting people who have left their homelands due to reasons such as extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution, or severe environmental degradation harms the dignity of many men, women, and families, and places them in a weak and vulnerable position."
Noting that the true common good is promoted when society and government recognize, protect, and integrate the rights of all individuals into society, the Pope commented, "This does not prevent the development of a policy that regulates orderly and legal migration. A structure built by using force and without being based on the fact that every human being has equal dignity starts badly and ends badly."
In his letter, Pope Francis said, "I call upon all believers of the Catholic Church and all men and women of good will not to succumb to rhetoric that discriminates against our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters and causes them unnecessary suffering."
US President Trump and Pope Francis, known for his sensitivity on the issue of migration, had previously clashed over the issue of migration during Trump's first presidential term.
The two leaders had most recently drawn attention with appointment decisions that also concern the relations between the two countries.
The Vatican had given a similar response to Trump's announcement that he would appoint far-right activist Brian Burch, known for his harsh criticisms of Pope Francis before taking office, as the US Ambassador to the Vatican. Pope Francis had appointed Cardinal Robert Walter McElroy, known for defending the rights of migrants, as the Archbishop of Washington.