• Pope Leo XIV criticizes the treatment of immigrants under U.S. policies as 'inhuman'.
• The pontiff questions the pro-life credentials of those against abortion but supportive of harsh immigration measures.
• Pope Leo weighs in on a debate involving Senator Dick Durbin, linking his award to broader church teachings.

Pope Leo XIV has expressed strong criticism towards U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration policies, questioning their alignment with the Catholic Church's pro-life teachings. During comments made to journalists at Castel Gandolfo, the pontiff stated, "Someone who says I am against abortion but I am in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don't know if that's pro-life," reinforcing the Church's core belief that life is sacred from conception to natural death, according to Reuters and India Times.

The pontiff's remarks also highlighted the contradictions within U.S. political advocacy on life issues, asserting, "Someone who says I'm against abortion but is in favor of the death penalty is not really pro-life," a perspective that calls for a comprehensive evaluation of Catholic politicians' stances on a range of policy positions. Critics within the Church, including several bishops, particularly took issue with U.S. policies that they believe do not reflect these teachings, as noted in NPR and Reuters.

Furthermore, Pope Leo responded to a controversy surrounding the Chicago Archdiocese's decision to award Senator Dick Durbin, who supports abortion rights, despite the strong objections from conservative Catholics. The pope emphasized the importance of evaluating Durbin's overall work while recognizing the complexities of church teachings regarding political figures. "I understand the difficulty and the tensions… it's important to look at many issues that are related to what is the teaching of the Church," explained the pontiff, as reported by India Times and NPR.