Pope Francis passes judgment on Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in choosing the “lesser of two evils”

On Friday, Pope Francis sharply criticized the two major party candidates in the US presidential election, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

A CBS News reporter asked the Pope what a Catholic voter should do when faced with a candidate who supports abortion rights and another who supports the deportation of millions of migrants. “They are both pro-life,” the Pope replied, “the one who throws away migrants and the one who kills children.”

The Pope touched on two issues that were central to Tuesday's presidential debate.

“It should be clear that it is a sin to send away migrants, to deny them the opportunity to work and not to welcome them. This is a grave sin,” the Pope added.

He also emphasized the Catholic Church's consistent position that abortion is murder.

“Whether you like the word or not, it is murder,” he said. “It is an assassination attempt and we should be clear about that.”

Despite his opposition to the two candidates, the Pope made it clear that he did not want to discourage his followers from voting. “You have to vote,” he said.

“You have to choose the lesser of two evils,” he added. “Which is the lesser of two evils, this lady or this gentleman, I do not know.”

The Pope concluded that Catholics in America must consult their conscience before casting their vote one way or the other.

It is not the first time that the Pope has influenced a presidential election. In 2016, he again sharply criticized Trump for his stance on immigration. Anyone who intends to deport migrants en masse, the Pope said at the time, “is not a Christian.”