Pope Francis to Trump: “Forced deportations are evil and will end badly.” The response: “He should focus on the Vatican.”

“What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth of the equal dignity of every human being, starts badly and will end badly.” It sounds almost like a warning, with very serious tones, and even seems like an easy prophecy. Pope Francis is addressing the American bishops, but his message is not really meant for them—it is indirectly directed at President Donald Trump due to the immigration policies he promised during his campaign and is now implementing, including the deportation of many undocumented migrants.

The White House responded immediately through Tom Homan, the U.S. Border Czar (appointed by Trump specifically for this role, overseeing deportations and border control). “The Pope should focus on the Catholic Church and let us take care of our borders. Does he want to attack us for protecting our borders? He has a wall around the Vatican, right? (…) And we can’t have a wall around the United States?”

In his letter to the bishops, Pope Francis stated that he has been “closely following the great crisis that is unfolding with the implementation of a mass deportation program. A properly formed conscience,” he emphasized, “cannot refrain from making a critical judgment and expressing its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly equates the status of undocumented migrants with criminality.”

Pope Francis published the letter in both English and Spanish, beginning with a reference to the Bible—shared roots for any Christian. In the past, speaking off the cuff, he once said that Trump could not really be called “a Christian” (“A person who thinks only of building walls and not bridges is not Christian”). Now, without naming him directly, he focuses on the situation.

A few weeks ago, during an interview with Fabio Fazio, he had already warned that if the deportations were carried out, it would be “a disaster.” Two days ago, he called on all Christian leaders worldwide to make an effort during the Jubilee to apply the Gospel and seek peaceful solutions to the many wars ravaging the planet. Pope Francis is concerned—he knows that the forced transfer of so many migrants could soon be imitated by other countries.