Pope Urges US Catholics to Choose 'Lesser Evil' for President
Pope Francis told journalists aboard the papal plane on Friday that US voters must examine their consciences and 'choose the lesser of two evils' when voting in the November presidential election....
Facts
- Pope Francis told journalists aboard the papal plane on Friday that US voters must examine their consciences and 'choose the lesser of two evils' when voting in the November presidential election.[1][2]
- His remarks came after a CBS News journalist asked the pontiff to advise Catholic voters forced to pick between a pro-abortion rights candidate and one who wants to deport 11M migrants.[2][3][4]
- Without naming Democratic nominee Kamala Harris or Republican nominee Donald Trump, the pope said that he couldn't decide, as both US presidential candidates were 'against life.'[5][4]
- He argued that pro-abortion and anti-immigrant rhetoric is a 'grave sin' against life and humanity, and criticized the US bishops' voting guide that designated abortion as the 'pre-eminent' issue for voters in 2024.[1][4][6]
- According to Pew Research, 44% of about 52M Catholic adults in the US identify with Democrats and 52% align with the Republicans, while around 60% say abortion should be legal.[7][8]
- Catholic voters were split almost evenly between the main parties in 2020, with 50% supporting Biden and 49% voting for Trump. The latest Pew Research poll indicates that Trump leads Harris 52% to 47% among Catholics.[1][9][10]
Sources: [1]CNN, [2]CBS, [3]National Review, [4]Vatican News, [5]Associated Press, [6]Catholic News Agency, [7]FOX News, [8]Pew Research Center (a), [9]Pew Research Center (b) and [10]Ncregister.
Narratives
- Republican narrative, as provided by Daily Caller. There must be no doubt that Donald Trump is the only option for Catholic voters in 2024, as he supports the right to life, the right to worship, and the rights of both parents and children. If the Catholics vote for Kamala Harris, they will be supporting their own persecution.
- Democratic narrative, as provided by The Hill. Catholic voters must avoid reducing the presidential election to false binary choices. There is no such thing as a perfect Catholic candidate in this vote. However, Harris — unlike Trump — is a person of character whose policies align with Catholics' beliefs.
- Narrative C, as provided by America Magazine. Whether it's Harris or Trump who wins the White House, American Catholics will remain politically homeless, so it's only natural that Pope Francis has said they should choose the lesser evil rather than endorsing a candidate. Instead of giving their uncritical allegiance to either Democrats or Republicans, Catholics must work across the aisle to better America.
