In a letter, Pope Francis reportedly expressed his disapproval of President Trump’s plans to deport large numbers of people from the United States.
He urged compassion and the protection of dignity for U.S. migrants.
Deportations in large numbers have been a top priority for the Trump administration, which is consistent with a pledge made during the campaign trail.
“That said, the act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness,” he said.
“I have followed closely the major crisis that is taking place in the United States with the initiation of a program of mass deportations. The rightly formed conscience cannot fail to make a critical judgment and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality.” he continued.
“What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly,” the Pope added.
This information was revealed by the Associated Press. Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary for the White House, stated last week that more than 8,000 individuals had been arrested as a result of immigration enforcement measures since President Trump took office on January 20.
While some migrants have been deported, others are being imprisoned in federal jails or at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. Both of these facilities are located in Cuba.
Vice-President JD Vance, a convert to Catholicism, has used the Latin phrase “ordo amoris,” which refers to a medieval Catholic theological idea, to support the administration’s America-first crackdown. According to him, the idea establishes a hierarchy of caring, with family coming first, then neighbors, the community, fellow citizens, and finally others outside of the family.
For hist part, Pope Francis appeared to take a direct shot at Vance over this stance in his letter.
“Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups. The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan,’ that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.” Francis wrote.
Tom Homan, who is in charge of the mass deportation operation and is also the border czar, responded to the criticism that the pope had made on Tuesday morning.
“I’ve got harsh words for the Pope. Pope ought to fix the Catholic Church. I’m saying this as a lifelong Catholic. I was baptized Catholic. My first communion as a Catholic, confirmation as a Catholic. He ought to fix the Catholic Church and concentrate on his work and leave border enforcement to us.” Homan remarked.
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