Pope asks US Catholics to choose 'lesser evil' from Harris and Trump
Pope Francis has rebuked both former US President Donald Trump over his plan to deport millions of immigrants and Vice President Kamala Harris over her support for abortion rights.
The pope said on Friday that deporting migrants or not welcoming them is a "grave" sin, and compared abortion to an "assassination," when asked about the US presidential election on his flight back to Rome from Singapore, according to the Reuters news agency.
Pope Francis advised Catholics in the United States to "choose the lesser evil" when they vote in November from the two candidates.
The pope made the remarks during a press conference with journalists at the end of a 12-day tour across Southeast Asia and Oceania.
The pope did not use Trump and Harris's names, but he referred specifically to their policies and their genders.
The 87-year-old pontiff criticized both candidates but asked Catholics to vote in the upcoming election.
"Not voting is ugly," he said. "It is not good. You must vote."
"You must choose the lesser evil," he said. "Who is the lesser evil? That lady, or that gentleman? I don't know. Everyone, in conscience, (has to) think and do this."
There are roughly 52 million Catholics in the United States. They are often seen as crucial swing voters. More than 20% of American adults are Catholic in some battleground states, including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Pope Francis is the leader of about 1.4 billion Catholics globally. He is usually careful about weighing in on national political elections.
But he often condemns abortion, which is forbidden by Catholic teaching.
The pope has also previously slammed Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric.
During the 2016 election, Francis said Trump was "not Christian.”
On Friday, Francis said the policies of both candidates were "against life.”
"Whether it is the one who is chasing away migrants or the one who that kills children," said the pope. "Both are against life."
Trump has vowed to crack down on immigrants and deport millions of them already in the US if elected again.
Harris has promised to approve any legislation passed by Congress to restore abortion rights, which were struck down by the Supreme Court in its 2022 Dobbs decision.
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