Pope Francis has publicly condemned U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed immigration policies, particularly his plan to deport undocumented immigrants, calling it a “disgrace.”
In an interview with Italian television, the Pope expressed his concerns over Trump’s aggressive stance on immigration, which involves a series of executive orders aimed at removing undocumented immigrants.
Trump, set to be inaugurated as President on Monday, has faced growing criticism regarding the potential human costs of his policies.
“If it is true, it will be a disgrace, because it makes the poor wretches who have nothing to pay the unpaid bill. It won’t do. This is not the way to solve things,” Pope Francis remarked during the Sunday interview.
Migration has been a core focus throughout Francis’ papacy, and he has continuously advocated for the acceptance and integration of migrants.
This issue is particularly personal for the Pope, who recently reflected on his family’s migration experience in his autobiography.
He shared how his father and paternal grandparents narrowly escaped tragedy in 1927, when they changed their travel plans and avoided boarding the Principessa Mafalda, which tragically sank while en route from Italy to Argentina.
The Pope’s criticism aligns with the views of several U.S. Catholic leaders, including Cardinal Robert McElroy, who has previously denounced mass deportations as “incompatible with Catholic doctrine.”
McElroy’s appointment as Archbishop of Washington, D.C., suggests a critical stance toward the incoming administration. Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago also expressed his opposition to Trump’s deportation plans.
Pope Francis’ remarks echo his earlier criticism from 2016, when he suggested Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric was “not Christian.”
His comments were made during a talk show appearance on Che Tempo Che Fa, aired on Nove, a network owned by CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.
In the same interview, the Pope also announced the historic appointment of Sister Raffaella Petrini as the new president of the commission governing Vatican City State, marking the first time a woman will lead the commission.
Her appointment, effective in March, follows the Pope’s recent decision to appoint the first female head of a Vatican department.
Addressing concerns about his health, Francis provided an update on his recovery from a fall that had left his arm in a sling, assuring that his arm is “moving better.”
