Pope Francis has gone after President Trump over yet another controversial immigration issue, saying if the president is ‘pro-life’ then he should reconsider his order to rescind DACA.
The pontiff commented on the issue on a flight back to Rome from a trip to Colombia, saying the decision – which he noted remains firmly in Trump’s hands – should be ‘rethought.’
‘The President of the United States presents himself as pro-life and if he is a good pro-lifer, he understands that family is the cradle of life and its unity must be protected,” Pope Francis said.
‘The President of the United States presents himself as pro-life and if he is a good pro-lifer, he understands that family is the cradle of life and its unity must be protected,” Pope Francis said
Pope Francis spoke about DACA upon his return flight from a trip to Colombia
Pope Francis, showing a bruise around his left eye and eyebrow caused by an accidental hit against the popemobile’s window glass while visiting the old sector of Cartagena, Colombia, is greeted by faithful on September 10, 2017.Nearly 1.3 million worshippers flocked to a mass by Pope Francis on Saturday in the Colombian city known as the stronghold of the late drug lord Pablo Escobar
The administration announced it is ending the Obama-era program, with six months to ‘wind down’ the program. The president has urged Congress to solve the problem in the meantime.
The pope – who weighed in on Trump’s border wall during the campaign – may have been downplaying his knowledge of the U.S. political scene when he spoke about the process relating to the controversial decision.
“I think this law comes not from parliament but from the executive,” Pope Francis said. “If that is so, I am hopeful that it will be re-thought.”
His comment made clear it was within Trump’s power to reverse the decision.
Pope Francis recently met with a group of members of Congress as well as White House press secretary Sean Spicer.
Francis’ shot on DACA comes days after former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon went after church bishops for their criticism of the administration’s decision.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks flanked by first lady Melania Trump (L) and Defense Secretary James Mattis (R) during ceremonies in honor of the victims of the 9/11 attacks on the 16th anniversary of the attack at the Pentagon in Washington, U.S., September 11, 2017. The Pope criticized his DACA decision
He said they ‘need illegal aliens to fill the churches,’ prompting a swift rebuke from the bishops.
‘Man is a stupid and hard-headed being,’ Pope Francis said.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced last week the policy was being rescinded.
Then, Trump surprised opponents and supporters with a tweet Sept. 5th, when he wrote: ‘Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they can’t, I will revisit this issue!’
The pope and Trump clashed during the campaign, when Francis said Trump was ‘not Christian’ if he built pursued the wall.
‘A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the gospel,’ Francis said in February during the campaign.
People wave to Pope Francis as he passes by in his popemobile in Medellin, Colombia, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017. Francis flew to a rain-soaked Medellin on Saturday to console orphans, the poor and sick and to demand priests and ordinary Colombians look beyond rigid church doctrine to care for sinners and welcome them in
Trump shot back in a statement then: ‘No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith.’
‘If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which as everyone knows is ISIS’s ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president,” Trump added in the statement.
Since that time, Trump and his family had an audience with Pope Francis on their trip to Rome.
Trump tweeted words of encouragement to roughly 800,000 DREAMers brought here illegally by their parents, after House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says she urged him to reassure them.
‘For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about – No action!’ Trump tweeted last week.
If Trump were to carry out deportations, many DREAMers would be forced to live in countries they barely know or do not recall.