Pope Francis wrapped up an arduous 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific on Friday, defying health concerns to connect with believers from the jungle of Papua New Guinea to the skyscrapers of Singapore. The 87-year-old pontiff took off for Rome, completing his longest trip in duration and distance…
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE 鈥斅犅爋n Friday slammed both U.S. presidential candidates for what he called anti-life policies on abortion and migration, and he advised American Catholics to choose who they think is 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 be it the one who kills babies,鈥 Francis said.
The Argentine Jesuit was asked to provide counsel to American Catholic voters during an airborne news conference聽. Francis stressed that he is not an American and would not be voting.
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 has not emphasized church doctrine as much as his predecessors.
Francis said migration is a right described in Scripture and that anyone who does not 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 what voters should do at the polls, Francis recalled the civic duty to vote.
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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.-Mexico 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
Trump pledges聽聽bid, when there was a vast gulf between his ambitions and the legal, financial and political realities of such an undertaking.
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聽聽for reinstating a federal right to abortion.
In his comments, the pope added: 鈥淥n abortion, science says that a month from conception, all the organs of a human being are already there, all of them. Performing an abortion is killing a human being. Whether you like the word or not, this is killing. You can鈥檛 say the church is closed because it does not allow abortion. The church does not allow abortion because it鈥檚 killing. It is murder.鈥
CHRISTINE FERNANDO and LINLEY SANDERS
Associated Press
However, cells are only beginning the process of developing organs in the earliest weeks of pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that by 13 weeks, all major organs have formed. For example, cardiac tissue starts to form in the first two months 鈥 initially a tube that only later evolves into the four chambers that define a heart.
In other comments, Francis:
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.
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 has not been home since before the 2013 conclave that elected him pope.
declared that China was聽聽for the Catholic Church and hoped to one day visit.
肠补濒濒别诲听聽and weighed on the latest revelations of assault against a legendary French priest, Abbe Pierre.
Pope Francis wrapped up an arduous 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific on Friday, defying health concerns to connect with believers from the jungl…
Pope Francis listens to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni aboard the papal plane on his flight back after his 12-day journey across Southeast Asia and Oceania, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024.