Pope to American Catholics - Vote lesser of two evils

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Pope Francis on Friday slammed both U.S. presidential candidates for what he called anti-life policies on abortion and migration, and he advised American Catholics to choose who they think is the “lesser evil” in the upcoming U.S. elections.

“Both are against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants, or be it the one who kills babies,″ Francis said.

The Argentine Jesuit was asked to provide counsel to American Catholic voters during an airborne news conference while he flew back to Rome from his four-nation tour through Asia. Francis stressed that he is not an American and would not be voting.

Neither Republican candidate Donald Trump nor the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, was mentioned by name.

But Francis nevertheless expressed himself in stark terms when asked to weigh in on their positions on two hot-button issues in the U.S. election — abortion and migration — that are also of major concern to the Catholic Church

Francis has made the plight of migrants a priority of his pontificate and speaks out emphatically and frequently about it. While strongly upholding church teaching forbidding abortion, Francis has not emphasized church doctrine as much as his predecessors.

Francis said migration is a right described in Scripture and that anyone who does not follow the Biblical call to welcome the stranger is committing a “grave sin.”

He was also blunt in speaking about abortion. “To have an abortion is to kill a human being. You may like the word or not, but it’s killing,” he said. “We have to see this clearly.”

Asked what voters should do at the polls, Francis recalled the civic duty to vote.

“One should vote, and choose the lesser evil,” he said. “Who is the lesser evil, the woman or man? I don’t know.

“Everyone in their conscience should think and do it,” he said.

What a scumbag the Pope is. Yes, he's better than a lot of other Popes have been, but that's not saying much.

Exactly how is he being a "scumbag" in that press conference?

He's a scumbag for saying that abortion is killing a person.

And he's being a scumbag by being coy and implying one could see either candidate as the lesser of two evils instead of pointing to the obvious choice that has at least some humanity.

So...about your first point...your definition of a "scumbag" is "anyone who disagrees with you"?????

I am pro choice, and approve of this pope's more progressive tendencies, but I am realistic too. I dont ask a pope to stop being Catholic and to abandon Catholic doctrine.

About the second: same thing. Why is it the Pope's job to cater to your opinions?

Yes...this is not a normal American election between two garden variety candidates. One, Trump, is a threat to American democracy. But American democracy is a secular institution. Its not under the Pope's jurisdiction.