TEHRAN (Iran News)  Pope Francis addressed reporters aboard his return flight to Rome from Singapore on Friday, urging Catholics to participate in the upcoming US election by choosing the “lesser evil” between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

Speaking on the moral duty to vote, the pontiff stated, “Not voting is ugly, and the faithful must vote.” He went on to elaborate, saying, “Who is the lesser evil? That lady, or that gentleman? I don’t know. Whether it is the one who is chasing away migrants, or the one that kills children, both are against life.”

Trump has committed to sealing the US southern border and executing “the largest deportation operation in American history” if elected, while Harris has promised to enshrine the same access to abortion that existed under Roe v. Wade, a Supreme Court decision overturned in 2022.

Roe v. Wade once guaranteed a woman’s right to seek an abortion, but various restrictions were later introduced, including limits on procedures past the second trimester. Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, signed legislation in 2023 allowing abortions up until birth.

Pope Francis expressed concern over these stances, saying, “To send migrants away, to leave them wherever you want, there is evil there. To send away a child from the womb of the mother is an assassination, because there is life.”

The pontiff, known for his opposition to abortion, has allowed priests to forgive those who have had abortions and advised bishops against denying communion to politicians supporting abortion rights. On immigration, Francis has consistently taken a more progressive approach compared to previous popes. He previously condemned Trump’s border wall proposal as “not Christian” and in 2019, the Vatican provided $500,000 to Central American migrants attempting to reach the US through Mexico.