Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): Pope Francis, the leader of Catholics in the world, while criticizing Kamala Harris, the candidate of the Democratic Party, and Donald Trump, the candidate of the Republican Party in the US presidential elections, advised American Catholics to choose someone from among these two people.
According to Rashatodi, the Pope's criticisms were influenced by Harris's protectionist policies regarding the right to abortion for American women, and at the same time Trump's anti-immigration policies.
During an interview, the Pope explained his positions towards the American election candidates and said: Both Trump and Harris are against life, and Catholic voters should choose someone who is less evil.
His statements were made while he was returning to Rome from Singapore, and in response to reporters' questions, he said: Not voting is a wrong action and people of faith must vote.
While making his statements, he did not mention which of the American election candidates is a better option for the presidency and said: I don't know which of these two people has less vices. One of them forces immigrants to flee and the other supports killing babies.
The Pope's criticism of Harris and Trump comes at a time when the former US president has pledged to close the country's southern borders and lead the largest operation to deport immigrants from the US if he re-enters the White House.
At the same time, Tim Walls, Harris's running mate, also previously supported a bill in 2023 that would have allowed abortion even before birth.
Criticizing Trump's positions on immigrants and Harris on the right to abortion, the Pope said: "Abandoning immigrants and removing them from the country is a terrible act and there is evil in it." Just as taking the life of a baby that is alive inside the mother's womb is considered a murder.
The Pope has repeatedly opposed abortion in accordance with Catholic teaching, yet he has allowed priests to absolve people who perform it. At the same time, he asked the bishops not to stop their interaction with the politicians who support this action.
His position on the issue of immigration is also against the policies of Donald Trump, so that in 2016, he criticized Trump's plan to build a border wall between the United States and Mexico as a wrong and anti-Christian act, and in 2019, the Vatican also donated 500,000 dollars.