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ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Francis connected Friday slammed some U.S. statesmanlike candidates for what he called anti-life policies connected abortion and migration, and advised American Catholics to take nan “lesser evil” successful nan upcoming U.S. elections.
“Both are against life, beryllium it nan 1 who kicks retired migrants aliases nan 1 who (supports) sidesplitting babies,” Francis said. “Both are against life.”
The Argentine Jesuit was asked to supply counsel to American Catholic voters during an airborne property convention en way backmost to Rome from his four-nation circuit done Asia. Francis stressed that he is not an American and would not beryllium voting.
Neither nan Republican campaigner Donald Trump nor nan Democratic campaigner Kamala Harris was mentioned by name.
But Francis nevertheless expressed himself successful stark position erstwhile asked to measurement successful connected their positions connected 2 hot-button issues successful nan U.S. predetermination — abortion and migration — that are besides of awesome interest to nan Catholic Church.
Francis has made nan plight of migrants a privilege of his pontificate and speaks retired emphatically and often astir it. While powerfully upholding religion school forbidding abortion, Francis hasn’t emphasized religion doctrine arsenic overmuch arsenic his predecessors.
Francis said migration is simply a correct described successful Scripture, and that anyone who doesn’t travel nan Biblical telephone to invited nan alien is committing a “grave sin.”
He was besides blunt successful speaking astir abortion. “To person an abortion is to termination a quality being. You whitethorn for illustration nan connection aliases not, but it’s killing,” he said. “We person to spot this clearly.”
Asked though what to do astatine nan polls, Francis recalled nan civic work to vote.
“One should vote, and take nan lesser evil,” he said. “Who is nan lesser evil, nan female aliases man? I don’t know.
“Everyone successful their conscience should deliberation and do it,” he said.
It’s not nan first clip Francis has weighed successful connected a U.S. election. In nan run-up to nan 2016 election, Francis was asked astir Trump’s scheme to build a wall astatine nan U.S.-Mexican border. Francis declared past that anyone who builds a wall to support retired migrants “is not Christian.”
In responding Friday, Francis recalled that he celebrated Mass astatine nan U.S.-Mexico separator and “there were truthful galore shoes of nan migrants who ended up severely there.”
The U.S. bishops conference, for its part, has called abortion nan “preeminent priority” for American Catholics successful its published elector advice. Harris has powerfully defended abortion rights.
In different comments, Francis:
— denied a French media study that he would recreation to Paris for nan December inauguration of nan restored Notre Dame Cathedral, saying flat-out he would not beryllium there. But he confirmed he would for illustration to spell to nan Canary Islands to item nan plight of migrants.
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— tamped down renewed speculation that he mightiness yet return to Argentina later this year, saying he wants to spell but that thing had been decided. He added: “There are various things to resoluteness first.” Francis hasn’t been location since earlier nan 2013 conclave that elected him pope.
— declared that China was “a committedness and a hope” for nan Catholic Church and hoped to 1 time visit.
— called intersexual maltreatment “demonic” and weighed connected nan latest revelations of battle against a legendary French priest, Abbe Pierre.
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