In a letter addressed to the American bishops, the head of the Catholic Church warned that the plan would harm the already vulnerable people.
Pope Francis reprimanded the Trump administration over his massive migrant deportation project, warning that such a policy “will end badly“.
In a letter addressed to the American bishopsthe Catholic leader said that nations have the right to protect themselves, but stressed that the forced expulsion of immigrants “Bringes into the dignity of many men and women, and whole families, and places them in a state of particular and defenseless vulnerability“.
Rarely never, a pope has also addressed a government administration so directly. But no one should be surprised, because François has made migration a major theme of his pontificate.
The White House was quick to answer him, through the voice of Thomas Homannicknamed in the Trump administration, “Le Tsar des Frontières:
“”I would like him to focus on the Catholic Church and let us take care of the borders. He wants to attack us because we ensure the security of our borders? He has a wall around the Vatican, right? We cannot have a wall around the United States“He told the press.
Not a first with Donald Trump
During the first mandate of the American president, François had declared that whoever built a wall (in reference to the wall erected on the Mexican border) in order to prevent the entry of migrants was “was”not Christian“.
The most recent intervention of the Pope comes as Donald Trump intensified his efforts to combat immigration, as part of what he promised to be a policy of “massive deportation“.
Last week, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavittsaid more than 8,000 people had been arrested since January 20 for illegal stay in the United States.
Expulsion flights have left for countries such as Colombia, Guatemala and Venezuela, while some migrants are currently detained in the infamous American naval base Guantanamo Bayin Cuba.
Referring to biblical accounts involving migration, the Pope said that people had the right to seek refuge elsewhere.
“”I closely followed the major crisis which takes place in the United States with the launch of a massive deportation program“He said.
“”Consciousness precisely formed cannot fail to make a critical judgment and to express its disagreement with any measure which tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of certain migrants with crime. “
François added that Trump’s actions will not have good results.
“”What is built on the basis of force, not on the truth of the equal dignity of each human being, starts badly and will end badly. “
The Pope also sought to correct an interpretation of Christian love advanced by the American vice-president JD Vance, himself converted to Catholicism.
Mr. Vance recently argued that the Christian doctrine of the “Ordo Amoris“, A Latin expression which results in” the order of love “, shows that people should first love their own family and then turn to their neighbors, before considering their communities, their fellow citizens and, finally , people from other countries.
In response, François cited the parable of the Bon Samaritan, in which Jesus underlines the importance of loving and supporting people outside his own community.
David Gibsondirector of the Center for the Religion and Culture of Fordham University, said that the Pope’s letter refuted “theAbsurd theological affirmation of JD VANCE.
“”The pope thus opposes disinformation on the Catholic faith exposed by the Catholic vice-president“He said.