Monday, February 22, 2016

Many Catholic Voters Unswayed by Pope's Clash With Trump


Many Catholic Voters Unswayed by Pope's Clash... by wibbitz

U.S. Catholics voiced support for Pope Francis on Sunday after he criticized Donald Trump's immigration stance as "not Christian," but many said the controversy would not necessarily sour them on the Republican presidential contender.

The pontiff injected himself into the U.S. campaign during a conversation with reporters on his flight home from Mexico on Thursday.


In his comments, Francis disparaged Trump's vow to build a wall along the southern U.S. border to keep out illegal immigrants.


A sampling of opinion from people before and after Sunday Mass suggested that many Catholics saw the pope's comments as well-intentioned and grounded in a moral worldview.


Even so, most of those interviewed in Boston and New York would not rule out voting for Trump based on what Francis said.


About 21 percent of the U.S. population identifies as Catholic.


Related:

Pope on Trump: "A person who thinks only about building walls...is not Christian."