'Study, pray, vote,' Pope tells Americans
ahead of elections
Send a link to a friend
[October 03, 2016]
By Philip Pullella
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (Reuters) - Pope
Francis on Sunday advised U.S. Catholics who feel they are torn between
two imperfect candidates for president to study and pray before they
vote and to make sure to follow their conscience.
During his traditional, freewheeling in-flight news conference with
reporters on the plane returning from Azerbaijan, Francis was asked how
he would counsel American faithful and what wisdom they should keep in
mind.
"You have asked me a question that describes a difficult choice because,
according to you, there are difficulties with one and difficulties with
the other," the pope said, without naming Democrat Hillary Clinton or
Republican Donald Trump.
In posing the question, the reporter made allusions to Clinton's support
of abortion and Trump's statements vilifying migrants and religious
minorities.
"During political campaigns, I never say a word," the pope said. "The
people are sovereign. I would only say, study the proposals well, pray
and choose with your conscience."
But in the rest of his response, while stressing that he wanted to talk
about a "fictional situation," Francis appeared to be saying that the
United States was among the countries that had become so politicized
that it had effectively lost what he called a culture of politics.
"When in any country there are two, three or four candidates who don't
satisfy everyone, it means that perhaps the political life of that
country has become too politicized and that it does not have much
political culture," he said.
"People say 'I'm from this party' or 'I'm from that party,' but
effectively, they don't have clear thoughts about the basics, about
proposals," he said.
[to top of second column] |
Pope Francis gestures as he speaks to journalists on his flight back
to Rome following a visit in Georgia and Azerbaijan, October 2,
2016. REUTERS/Luca Zennaro/Pool
Last February, while returning from Mexico, the pope was asked if
U.S. Catholics could vote for someone with Trump's views on
immigration, particularly on the candidate's promise to build a wall
at the border with Mexico.
He said a person with such views was "not Christian."
Trump struck back, calling the pope's comments "disgraceful."
(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|