VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo has delivered his strongest criticism yet of United States immigration policies while questioning their consistency with Catholic pro-life teachings.
The pontiff questioned whether supporting harsh immigration measures aligns with genuine pro-life values during remarks to journalists outside his Castel Gandolfo residence.
“Someone who says I am against abortion but I am in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don’t know if that’s pro-life,“ the pope stated.
The Catholic Church maintains that life remains sacred from conception until natural death as one of its core teachings.
The White House responded by stating President Donald Trump was fulfilling his election promises regarding immigration enforcement.
Spokesperson Abigail Jackson affirmed the administration’s commitment to deporting criminal illegal aliens in an official statement.
Pope Leo assumed leadership of the 1.4 billion-member denomination in May following the death of Pope Francis.
The first American pope has demonstrated a more reserved approach compared to his frequently outspoken predecessor.
Conservative Catholics have criticised the Archdiocese of Chicago’s decision to honour Illinois Senator Dick Durbin despite his support for abortion rights.
Leo emphasised the importance of considering Senator Durbin’s overall work when questioned about the controversial award.
“I understand the difficulty and the tensions but I think, as I myself have spoken in the past, it’s important to look at many issues that are related to what is the teaching of the Church,“ he explained.
The pope further questioned pro-life consistency by highlighting contradictions in supporting both anti-abortion and pro-death penalty positions.
“Someone who says I am against abortion but says I am in favour of the death penalty is not really pro-life,“ he concluded. – Reuters