Pope Francis vs Donald Trump: Why the rift keeps growing

Pope Francis and US President Donald Trump are at odds.

In a newly written letter to Catholic bishops in the United States, history’s first Latin American pope has strongly condemned one of Trump’s controversial policies.

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Francis, who has led the Catholic Church since 2013, has been a vocal critic of this policy for years.

During Trump’s first presidential campaign in 2016, he said that Trump was “not Christian.”

What is this policy? And why has Pope Francis consistently opposed Trump on this issue?

Let’s take a closer look:

The reason behind Pope Francis and Trump’s clash

The policy in question is Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration.

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**Pope Francis** has strongly criticised the Trump administration’s plans for mass deportations, warning that forcibly removing people solely due to their immigration status strips them of their dignity and “will end badly.”

The first Latin American pope has consistently prioritised the welfare of migrants, often referencing the biblical command to “welcome the stranger.”

He has urged nations to offer refuge, protection, and support to those fleeing war, poverty, and climate crises. However, he has also acknowledged that governments can only do so within their capacity.

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Is Trump deserting Europe?

Francis and Trump have clashed over migration for years. Even before Trump took office, the pope made headlines in 2016 by stating that anyone who builds a wall to keep out migrants is “not a Christian.”

Last month, Pope Francis condemned Trump’s plan to deport millions of migrants, calling it a “disgrace” and rejecting the notion that all undocumented immigrants are criminals.

In his letter, the pope urged those “of good will” and members of the Catholic Church not to accept narratives that discriminate against migrants, which is a passive call for Catholic leaders in the US to resist Trump’s policies.

Although Trump has identified as a nondenominational Christian, he has also described himself as a “longtime supporter” of the Catholic Church. He won the Catholic vote in the 2024 presidential election by a 20-point margin, according to The Independent.

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What the Pope’s letter says

In a strongly worded letter, Francis admitted that nations have the right to protect themselves and ensure the safety of their communities from criminal elements but described the deportation plan as a “major crisis”.

MAJOR BREAKING: Pope Francis has written a letter to US Bishops saying he’s following “major crisis” of “mass deportations;” takes on Vance saying “The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the “Good Samaritan” pic.twitter.com/3bo9wD6U5m

— Rich Raho (@RichRaho) February 11, 2025

“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 wrote.

Referencing the Book of Exodus and Jesus Christ’s own experiences, Francis defended the right of people to seek refuge in other countries.

He further said that anyone with an understanding of Christianity “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.”

The pope also subtly criticised recent remarks by US Vice President JD Vance, who had cited the Catholic theological concept of “ordo amoris” or “order of love” to justify the administration’s immigration policies.

“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,” the pope said.

Trump administration hits back

The letter from Pope Francis, published by the Vatican, was met with a swift rebuttal from the White House.

Tom Homan, the president’s border czar, criticised the pope’s comments, telling reporters, “I wish he’d stick to the Catholic Church and fix that and leave border enforcement to us.”

Homan went on to question the pope’s position, saying, “He wants to attack us for securing our border? He’s got a wall around the Vatican, does he not?… We can’t have a wall around the United States."

Homan further said that he is a “lifelong Catholic” himself.

Notably, the Vatican City, a small city-state within Rome, is enclosed by a high wall with gated entry points guarded by the Swiss Guard.

Pope Francis has long criticised Trump

During Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, Pope Francis suggested that Trump “is not a Christian” due to his calls for mass deportations and the construction of a wall along the US-Mexico border.

“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” the pope stated. “This is not the gospel.”

Several US bishops have strongly opposed Trump’s deportation policies. Cardinal Robert McElroy, the incoming Archbishop of Washington DC, described such measures as “incompatible with Catholic doctrine,” referencing the Biblical directive to “welcome the stranger.”

Last month, during an appearance on the Italian talk show Che Tempo Che Fa, Pope Francis addressed the Trump administration’s deportation plans.

“If true, this will be a disgrace, because it makes the poor wretches who have nothing pay the bill” for the problem, Francis said. “This won’t do! This is not the way to solve things. That’s not how things are resolved.”

When Pope Francis chose Trump critic as Washington’s new archbishop

A month ago, **Pope Francis** appointed a Catholic cardinal who has openly criticised Donald Trump’s policies as the new leader of the Catholic Church in Washington, DC. The announcement came just days before Trump’s inauguration as US President.

Cardinal Robert McElroy, 70, has served as the bishop of San Diego since 2015. He strongly opposed Trump’s plan during his first administration to carry out mass deportations of millions of undocumented immigrants.

In a 2017 speech, McElroy urged Americans to “disrupt” such plans and later told a Catholic magazine that Catholics “simply can’t stand by and watch [immigrants] get deported.”

McElroy is also a key supporter of Pope Francis within the US Catholic Church, which remains divided over the pope’s pastoral approach.

He has taken progressive stances on various issues, advocating for a more inclusive approach toward LGBTQ Catholics and supporting the ordination of women as deacons, ordained ministers who, unlike priests, cannot celebrate the Mass.

Lawsuits against immigration raids in churches

On the same day Pope Francis’ letter was released, over two dozen faith-based organisations in the US filed a federal lawsuit aiming to prevent the Trump administration from conducting immigration raids in houses of worship.

The lawsuit, submitted to the US District Court in Washington, argues that the policy change has instilled fear among migrants, leading to decreased attendance at religious services and church-run support programmes.

The plaintiffs claim that this violates their religious freedom by hindering their ability to minister to migrants, including those residing in the US without legal status.

Until late January, churches were considered protected spaces under a Department of Homeland Security policy on sensitive locations. However, this safeguard was revoked shortly after Trump took office.

With inputs from agencies