ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) 鈥� on Friday slammed both U.S. presidential candidates for what he called anti-life policies on abortion and migration, and advised American Catholics to choose the 鈥渓esser evil鈥� in the upcoming U.S. elections.
鈥淏oth are against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants or the one who (supports) killing babies,鈥� Francis said. 鈥淏oth are against life.鈥�
The Argentine Jesuit was asked to provide counsel to American Catholic voters during an airborne press conference . Francis stressed that he is not an American and would not be voting.
Neither the Republican candidate Donald Trump nor the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris was mentioned by name.
But Francis nevertheless expressed himself in stark terms when asked to weigh in on their positions on two hot-button issues in the U.S. election 鈥� abortion and migration 鈥� that are also of major concern to the Catholic Church.
Francis has made the plight of migrants a priority of his pontificate and speaks out emphatically and frequently about it. While strongly upholding church teaching forbidding abortion, Francis hasn鈥檛 emphasized church doctrine as much as his predecessors.
Francis said migration is a right described in Scripture, and that anyone who doesn鈥檛 follow the Biblical call to welcome the stranger is committing a 鈥済rave sin.鈥�
He was also blunt in speaking about abortion. 鈥淭o have an abortion is to kill a human being. You may like the word or not, but it鈥檚 killing,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have to see this clearly.鈥�
Asked though what to do at the polls, Francis recalled the civic duty to vote.
鈥淥ne should vote, and choose the lesser evil,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ho is the lesser evil, the woman or man? I don鈥檛 know.
鈥淓veryone in their conscience should think and do it,鈥� he said.
It鈥檚 not the first time Francis has weighed in on a U.S. election. In the run-up to the 2016 election, Francis was asked about Trump鈥檚 plan to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexican border. Francis declared then that anyone who builds a wall to keep out migrants 鈥渋s not Christian.鈥�
In responding Friday, Francis recalled that he celebrated Mass at the U.S.-Mexico border and 鈥渢here were so many shoes of the migrants who ended up badly there.鈥�
The U.S. bishops conference, for its part, has called abortion the 鈥減reeminent priority鈥� for American Catholics in its published voter advice. Harris has strongly .
In other comments, Francis:
鈥� denied a French media report that he would travel to Paris for the December inauguration of the restored Notre Dame Cathedral, saying flat-out he would not be there. But he confirmed he would like to go to the Canary Islands to highlight the plight of migrants.
鈥� tamped down renewed speculation that he might finally return to Argentina later this year, saying he wants to go but that nothing had been decided. He added: 鈥淭here are various things to resolve first.鈥� Francis hasn鈥檛 been home since before the 2013 conclave that elected him pope.
鈥� declared that China was 鈥渁 promise and a hope鈥� for the Catholic Church and hoped to one day visit.
鈥� called sexual abuse 鈥渄emonic鈥� and weighed on the latest revelations of assault against a legendary French priest, Abbe Pierre.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP鈥檚 with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press
