Pope Leo has reiterated his criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump’s harsh anti-immigration policies, emphasizing on Tuesday that migrants living in the United States are being treated with “extreme disrespect” by the administration.
Speaking to journalists in Castel Gandolfo, his residence outside Rome, the Pope urged U.S. citizens “to seek ways to treat people humanely.”
Leo, the first American-born pope, has repeatedly expressed his disapproval of the Trump administration’s targeting of immigrants. In September, he called their treatment “inhumane,” a statement that drew strong reactions from several conservative Catholic figures.
On Tuesday, he was asked by reporters about a November 13 statement from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which criticized the administration’s policies and called for “meaningful immigration reform.”
“It is a very important statement,” the Pope said.
“I would invite all people in the United States to listen to them.”
