Pope Francis said on Tuesday, 11, that the mass deportation policy adopted by US President Donald Trump is a violation of human dignity. In response, the head of the US government to the border, Thomas Homan, said the pontiff should take care of “the matters of the Catholic Church.”
The Pope’s criticism was recorded in an open letter sent to the American bishops. “I’ve been closely following the great crisis that is taking place in the US with the beginning of a mass deportation program,” writes Francisco in the letter. “What is based on strength, and not the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly,” he adds.
It was not the first time that Pope Francis has positioned himself in defense of migrants. On several occasions, he spoke against what he considers non -welcoming and non -Christian migratory policies around the world. He had already criticized Trump during last year’s elections, but this was the first time he spoke openly after the republican’s government began.
Following the publication of the letter, Trump’s head of the border, Thomas Homan, responded to the Pope at a press conference granted at the White House. “I want him to take care of Vatican’s affairs and leave the border supervision with us,” he said.
“Want to attack us because we guarantee the safety of our borders? There is a wall around the Vatican, right? We can’t have a wall around the United States, ”he added.
In the letter, the Pope recognizes “the right of a nation to defend himself and to keep his communities safe from those who committed violent or serious crimes while in the country or before they arrived,” but says he deports people in a vulnerable situation ” It harms the dignity of many men and women, and whole families. ”
Continues after advertising
According to experts, the tone adopted by the pontiff in the letter differs from other criticism from the Pope to the US. “This increases the intensity of conflict (US and Vatican relationship),” said Massimo Faggioli, professor of theology at Villanova University in Pennsylvania.
Trump promoted a conservative and religious approach during the election campaign and has Catholic members in his government, such as Vice President Jd Vance.
The president, who declared that “God saved” his life when a man fired him during a Pennsylvania rally in the middle of the election campaign, ordered by decree the opening of a faith of faith in the White House, directed by televangelist Paula White, his advisor spiritual.
Continues after advertising
“It changed something to me,” the Republican confessed during a Capitol Prayer Breakfast last week. “I believed in God, but now I feel it with much more strength,” he said.
