Pope Francis criticizes Trump deportation plans as total “disgrace”
Pope Francis waves to the crowd in St. Peter's Square on Sunday. Recent months have seen Francis become the target of criticism on various fronts, and his image as a charismatic reformer has suffered some hits.
Pope Francis has strongly condemned Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportations, calling them a “disgrace” during a Sunday appearance on the Italian talk show Che Tempo Che Fa.
The pontiff, known for his vocal support of migrants, responded to questions about the incoming U.S. president’s immigration pledges.
“If true, this will be a disgrace, because it makes the poor wretches who have nothing pay the bill for the problem,” Francis stated. “This won’t do! This is not the way to solve things. That’s not how things are resolved.”
Trump, set to take office Monday, had made mass deportations a key issue of his campaign and promised immediate actions to overhaul immigration policy.
In 2016, Francis famously criticized Trump’s proposal to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, remarking that “anyone who builds a wall to keep out migrants is not Christian.”
Several U.S. bishops echoed Francis’ sentiments. Cardinal Robert McElroy, Washington’s incoming archbishop, described mass deportations as “incompatible with Catholic doctrine,” referencing the Biblical call to “welcome the stranger.”
Similarly, Chicago Cardinal Blasé Cupich labeled the reports of targeted deportations in Chicago “profoundly disturbing.” Speaking from Mexico City’s Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Cupich emphasized governments’ duty to protect borders while also defending the dignity and rights of all people.
Francis, himself the child of Italian immigrants in Argentina, has consistently prioritized the rights of migrants, asserting their dignity supersedes national security concerns.
