The Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis has strongly criticized the US President, Donald Trump’s deportations of undocumented migrants, declaring it as a calamity.
Pope Francis in a letter to US Bishops described the decision by Trump as a “major crisis” that “damages the dignity of men and women”.
He therefore enjoined Catholics and others not to surrender to policies that discriminate against and cause unnecessary suffering to migrants and refugees.
“I have followed closely the major crisis that is taking place in the United States with the initiation of a program of mass deportations,” he wrote this Tuesday.
While acknowledging the right of a nation to defend itself and keep communities safe from those who have committed violent or serious crimes while in the country or prior to arrival, the 88 year old
wrote “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.
Deportation “places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defencelessness.
“This is not a minor issue — an authentic rule of law is verified precisely in the dignified treatment that all people deserve, especially the poorest and most marginalised”.
The Catholic Pontiff reminded Trump that “What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly.”
He however used the opportunity to welcome the work done by Catholic clergy with refugees and migrants.
