Pope Reacts

With reports suggesting Pope Francis urged Catholics to choose the "lesser evil" without directly endorsing either Trump or Kamala, it's understandable for Catholics to feel conflicted about what the Pope truly meant and how his pastoral guidance aligns with political choices. Both Kamala and Trump present challenges to Catholic doctrine—Kamala supports abortion rights, while Trump has pledged mass deportation of immigrants. Fourteen years ago, when Pope Francis was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he advocated for civil unions, which many viewed as his way of acknowledging civil unions as a "lesser evil" compared to same-sex marriage. This positioned Pope Francis as someone willing to provide legal protections for same-sex couples while maintaining the Church's teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman.

For Catholic voters, determining who to support may seem straightforward, especially after the recent presidential debate. Pope Francis' message reinforces the idea that Catholics should choose a candidate who upholds their values and promotes policies that benefit everyone, rather than embracing divisive politics that breed chaos and endless divisions.