INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Pope Francis on Friday slammed both United States presidential candidates for what he called antilife policies on abortion and migration,
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 United States 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 pontificates 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
campaigns did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.United States President Joe Biden, an observant
for him to be denied access to Communion.After meeting Francis in person at the Vatican in October 2021, Biden came away saying the pope
bishops who want to deny Communion to Biden over his support for abortion rights, has said bishops should be pastors, not
massive deportations, just as he did in his first White House bid, when there was a vast gulf between his ambitions and the legal, financial
Harris has strongly defended abortion rights and has emphasized support for reinstating a federal right to abortion.In his comments, the
Performing an abortion is killing a human being
Whether you like the word or not, this is killing
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that by 13 weeks, all major organs have formed.In other comments,
Francis:Denied a French media report that he would travel to Paris for the December inauguration of the restored Notre Dame Cathedral,
saying flat-out he would not be there
But he confirmed he would like to go to the Canary Islands to highlight the plight of migrants.Tamped down renewed speculation that he might
finally return to Argentina later this year, saying he wants to go but that nothing had been decided
weighed on the latest revelations of assault against a legendary French priest, Abbe Pierre.Source: AP--Agencies
