Vatican City, Jun 20, 2018 / 05:04 am
In a new interview with Reuters, Pope Francis backed the U.S. bishops' opposition to the separation of migrant children from their parents at the Mexican border, calling the move "immoral" and "contrary to Catholic values."
"I am on the side of the bishops' conference," the pope said, referring to statements made by U.S. bishops earlier this month.
Francis' comment was made in reference to the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy on immigration, which was rolled out in May and, among other things, enforces the separation of children from parents who have been detained by border officials.
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the U.S. bishops conference, issued a statement during the bishops' biannual meeting in Fort Lauderdale last week. He criticized the policy, saying "separating babies from their mothers is not the answer and is immoral."