{"id":13052,"date":"2016-02-19T23:20:00","date_gmt":"2016-02-19T23:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/archbishop-gomez-the-popes-focus-is-human-suffering-not-donald-trump-62799\/"},"modified":"2016-02-19T23:20:00","modified_gmt":"2016-02-19T23:20:00","slug":"archbishop-gomez-the-popes-focus-is-human-suffering-not-donald-trump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/archbishop-gomez-the-popes-focus-is-human-suffering-not-donald-trump\/","title":{"rendered":"Archbishop Gomez: The Pope’s focus is human suffering, not Donald Trump"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/p>\n

Los Angeles, Calif., Feb 19, 2016 \/ 04:20 pm (CNA<\/a>).- The controversy surrounding Pope Francis\u2019 off-the-cuff statements on his return flight from Mexico \u2013 and Donald Trump\u2019s response \u2013 should not overshadow the underlying reason for the papal visit, said Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

The archbishop said that Pope Francis\u2019 Feb. 12-17 Mexico visit was \u201ca very emotional week\u201d that tried \u201cto bring a word of hope and mercy to some of the poorest and most oppressed people in this hemisphere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what the Pope was saying \u2013 that immigration is about people, not economics or politics. It\u2019s about children and families who are suffering,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Pope was obviously deeply moved by the human tragedy of millions of people suffering from the corruption of leaders, criminal gangs, human trafficking, violence and poverty, economic injustice,\u201d he said Feb. 19. \u201cThat\u2019s what the Pope is thinking about \u2013 not our election debates or candidates.\u201d<\/p>\n

On a Feb. 18 in-flight interview, a journalist asked Pope Francis to respond to the positions and claims of leading Republican presidential Donald Trump, who has characterized the Pope as a \u201cpawn\u201d for the Mexican government.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrump said that if he\u2019s elected, he wants to build 2,500 kilometers of wall along the border. He wants to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, separating families, etc.,\u201d the journalist said, asking for the Pope\u2019s response.<\/p>\n

Pope Francis responded, saying, \u201cAs to whether I am a pawn, well, maybe, I don't know. I'll leave that up to your judgment and that of the people. And then, a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel.\u201d
\n\u00a0
\nThe Pope said he would not get involved in the question of who someone should vote for, adding, \u201cI say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that. We must see if he said things in that way and in this I give the benefit of the doubt.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a Feb. 18 reaction, Trump claimed that the Mexican government \u201chas made many disparaging remarks about me to the Pope, because they want to continue to rip off the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Pope only heard one side of the story \u2013 he didn\u2019t see the crime, the drug trafficking and the negative economic impact the current policies have on the United States,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Trump also portrayed the Pope\u2019s comments as questioning his integrity.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a religious leader to question a person\u2019s faith is disgraceful,\u201d he said. \u201cI am proud to be a Christian and as President I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man\u2019s religion or faith,\u201d Trump said, repeating his claim that the Pope is being used as a pawn.<\/p>\n

Archbishop Gomez reflected on the general reaction to the Pope\u2019s comments.<\/p>\n

\u201cPope Francis was asked a provocative question and unfortunately it resulted in a media controversy. But it\u2019s important to remember that the Holy Father is a pastor, not a politician. And when he speaks, he speaks always as a pastor, not as a politician.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom a pastor\u2019s perspective, immigration is a humanitarian crisis,\u201d the archbishop said. \u201cAnd a good pastor calls us to conversion, to greater compassion and empathy for those who are vulnerable and weak.\u201d<\/p>\n

Archbishop Gomez acknowledged the need for secure borders as \u201cthe duty of a sovereign nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we also have a duty \u2013 as human beings and as Christians \u2013 to respond with compassion to those in need.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have families broken and hurting on both sides of the border and we have at least 11 million people living within our borders who are living as an almost permanent underclass, without rights or hopes for a better future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Christians, we need to help these people somehow \u2013 no matter where they come from, no matter how they got here. They are mothers, fathers, children, grandparents. They are all our brothers and sisters.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/p>\n

Los Angeles, Calif., Feb 19, 2016 \/ 04:20 pm (CNA<\/a>).- The controversy surrounding Pope Francis’ off-the-cuff statements on his return flight from Mexico – and Donald Trump’s response – should not overshadow the underlying reason for the papal visit, said Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

The archbishop said that Pope Francis’ Feb. 12-17 Mexico visit was “a very emotional week” that tried “to bring a word of hope and mercy to some of the poorest and most oppressed people in this hemisphere.”<\/p>\n

“That’s what the Pope was saying – that immigration is about people, not economics or politics. It’s about children and families who are suffering,” he said.<\/p>\n

“The Pope was obviously deeply moved by the human tragedy of millions of people suffering from the corruption of leaders, criminal gangs, human trafficking, violence and poverty, economic injustice,” he said Feb. 19. “That’s what the Pope is thinking about – not our election debates or candidates.”<\/p>\n

On a Feb. 18 in-flight interview, a journalist asked Pope Francis to respond to the positions and claims of leading Republican presidential Donald Trump, who has characterized the Pope as a “pawn” for the Mexican government.<\/p>\n

“Trump said that if he’s elected, he wants to build 2,500 kilometers of wall along the border. He wants to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, separating families, etc.,” the journalist said, asking for the Pope’s response.<\/p>\n

Pope Francis responded, saying, “As to whether I am a pawn, well, maybe, I don’t know. I’ll leave that up to your judgment and that of the people. And then, a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel.”
\n 
\nThe Pope said he would not get involved in the question of who someone should vote for, adding, “I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that. We must see if he said things in that way and in this I give the benefit of the doubt.”<\/p>\n

In a Feb. 18 reaction, Trump claimed that the Mexican government “has made many disparaging remarks about me to the Pope, because they want to continue to rip off the United States.”<\/p>\n

“The Pope only heard one side of the story – he didn’t see the crime, the drug trafficking and the negative economic impact the current policies have on the United States,” he said.<\/p>\n

Trump also portrayed the Pope’s comments as questioning his integrity.<\/p>\n

“For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful,” he said. “I am proud to be a Christian and as President I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened.”<\/p>\n

“No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith,” Trump said, repeating his claim that the Pope is being used as a pawn.<\/p>\n

Archbishop Gomez reflected on the general reaction to the Pope’s comments.<\/p>\n

“Pope Francis was asked a provocative question and unfortunately it resulted in a media controversy. But it’s important to remember that the Holy Father is a pastor, not a politician. And when he speaks, he speaks always as a pastor, not as a politician.”<\/p>\n

“From a pastor’s perspective, immigration is a humanitarian crisis,” the archbishop said. “And a good pastor calls us to conversion, to greater compassion and empathy for those who are vulnerable and weak.”<\/p>\n

Archbishop Gomez acknowledged the need for secure borders as “the duty of a sovereign nation.”<\/p>\n

“But we also have a duty – as human beings and as Christians – to respond with compassion to those in need.”<\/p>\n

“We have families broken and hurting on both sides of the border and we have at least 11 million people living within our borders who are living as an almost permanent underclass, without rights or hopes for a better future.”<\/p>\n

“As Christians, we need to help these people somehow – no matter where they come from, no matter how they got here. They are mothers, fathers, children, grandparents. They are all our brothers and sisters.”<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\nArchbishop Gomez: The Pope's focus is human suffering, not Donald Trump<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Los Angeles, Calif., Feb 19, 2016 \/ 04:20 pm (CNA).- The controversy surrounding Pope Francis’ off-the-cuff statements on his return flight from Mexico – and Donald Trump’s response – should not overshadow the underlying reason for the papal visit, said Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles. The archbishop said that Pope Francis’ Feb. 12-17 Mexico visit was “a very emotional week” that tried “to bring a word of hope and mercy to some of the poorest and most oppressed people in this hemisphere.” “That’s what the Pope was saying – that immigration is about people, not economics or politics. It’s about children and families who are suffering,” he said. “The Pope was obviously deeply moved by the human tragedy of millions of people suffering from the corruption of leaders, criminal gangs, human trafficking, violence and poverty, economic injustice,” he said Feb. 19. “That’s what the Pope is thinking about – not our election debates or candidates.” On a Feb. 18 in-flight interview, a journalist asked Pope Francis to respond to the positions and claims of leading Republican presidential Donald Trump, who has characterized the Pope as a “pawn” for the Mexican government. “Trump said that if he’s elected, he wants to build 2,500 kilometers of wall along the border. He wants to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, separating families, etc.,” the journalist said, asking for the Pope’s response. Pope Francis responded, saying, “As to whether I am a pawn, well, maybe, I don't know. I'll leave that up to your judgment and that of the people. And then, a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel.”   The Pope said he would not get involved in the question of who someone should vote for, adding, “I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that. We must see if he said things in that way and in this I give the benefit of the doubt.” In a Feb. 18 reaction, Trump claimed that the Mexican government “has made many disparaging remarks about me to the Pope, because they want to continue to rip off the United States.” “The Pope only heard one side of the story – he didn’t see the crime, the drug trafficking and the negative economic impact the current policies have on the United States,” he said. Trump also portrayed the Pope’s comments as questioning his integrity. “For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful,” he said. “I am proud to be a Christian and as President I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened.” “No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith,” Trump said, repeating his claim that the Pope is being used as a pawn. Archbishop Gomez reflected on the general reaction to the Pope’s comments. “Pope Francis was asked a provocative question and unfortunately it resulted in a media controversy. But it’s important to remember that the Holy Father is a pastor, not a politician. And when he speaks, he speaks always as a pastor, not as a politician.” “From a pastor’s perspective, immigration is a humanitarian crisis,” the archbishop said. “And a good pastor calls us to conversion, to greater compassion and empathy for those who are vulnerable and weak.” Archbishop Gomez acknowledged the need for secure borders as “the duty of a sovereign nation.” “But we also have a duty – as human beings and as Christians – to respond with compassion to those in need.” “We have families broken and hurting on both sides of the border and we have at least 11 million people living within our borders who are living as an almost permanent underclass, without rights or hopes for a better future.” “As Christians, we need to help these people somehow – no matter where they come from, no matter how they got here. They are mothers, fathers, children, grandparents. They are all our brothers and sisters.”\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/archbishop-gomez-the-popes-focus-is-human-suffering-not-donald-trump\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Archbishop Gomez: The Pope's focus is human suffering, not Donald Trump\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Los Angeles, Calif., Feb 19, 2016 \/ 04:20 pm (CNA).- The controversy surrounding Pope Francis’ off-the-cuff statements on his return flight from Mexico – and Donald Trump’s response – should not overshadow the underlying reason for the papal visit, said Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles. The archbishop said that Pope Francis’ Feb. 12-17 Mexico visit was “a very emotional week” that tried “to bring a word of hope and mercy to some of the poorest and most oppressed people in this hemisphere.” “That’s what the Pope was saying – that immigration is about people, not economics or politics. It’s about children and families who are suffering,” he said. “The Pope was obviously deeply moved by the human tragedy of millions of people suffering from the corruption of leaders, criminal gangs, human trafficking, violence and poverty, economic injustice,” he said Feb. 19. “That’s what the Pope is thinking about – not our election debates or candidates.” On a Feb. 18 in-flight interview, a journalist asked Pope Francis to respond to the positions and claims of leading Republican presidential Donald Trump, who has characterized the Pope as a “pawn” for the Mexican government. “Trump said that if he’s elected, he wants to build 2,500 kilometers of wall along the border. He wants to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, separating families, etc.,” the journalist said, asking for the Pope’s response. Pope Francis responded, saying, “As to whether I am a pawn, well, maybe, I don't know. I'll leave that up to your judgment and that of the people. And then, a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel.”   The Pope said he would not get involved in the question of who someone should vote for, adding, “I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that. We must see if he said things in that way and in this I give the benefit of the doubt.” In a Feb. 18 reaction, Trump claimed that the Mexican government “has made many disparaging remarks about me to the Pope, because they want to continue to rip off the United States.” “The Pope only heard one side of the story – he didn’t see the crime, the drug trafficking and the negative economic impact the current policies have on the United States,” he said. Trump also portrayed the Pope’s comments as questioning his integrity. “For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful,” he said. “I am proud to be a Christian and as President I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened.” “No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith,” Trump said, repeating his claim that the Pope is being used as a pawn. Archbishop Gomez reflected on the general reaction to the Pope’s comments. “Pope Francis was asked a provocative question and unfortunately it resulted in a media controversy. But it’s important to remember that the Holy Father is a pastor, not a politician. And when he speaks, he speaks always as a pastor, not as a politician.” “From a pastor’s perspective, immigration is a humanitarian crisis,” the archbishop said. “And a good pastor calls us to conversion, to greater compassion and empathy for those who are vulnerable and weak.” Archbishop Gomez acknowledged the need for secure borders as “the duty of a sovereign nation.” “But we also have a duty – as human beings and as Christians – to respond with compassion to those in need.” “We have families broken and hurting on both sides of the border and we have at least 11 million people living within our borders who are living as an almost permanent underclass, without rights or hopes for a better future.” “As Christians, we need to help these people somehow – no matter where they come from, no matter how they got here. They are mothers, fathers, children, grandparents. They are all our brothers and sisters.”\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/archbishop-gomez-the-popes-focus-is-human-suffering-not-donald-trump\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Catholic News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-02-19T23:20:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/size340\/Abp_Jose_Gomez_at_the_Pontifical_North_American_College_on_May_2_2015_Credit_Daniel_Ibanez_CNA_5_2_15.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/archbishop-gomez-the-popes-focus-is-human-suffering-not-donald-trump\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/archbishop-gomez-the-popes-focus-is-human-suffering-not-donald-trump\/\",\"name\":\"Archbishop Gomez: The Pope's focus is human suffering, not Donald Trump\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-02-19T23:20:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-02-19T23:20:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1\"},\"description\":\"Los Angeles, Calif., Feb 19, 2016 \/ 04:20 pm (CNA).- The controversy surrounding Pope Francis’ off-the-cuff statements on his return flight from Mexico – and Donald Trump’s response – should not overshadow the underlying reason for the papal visit, said Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles. The archbishop said that Pope Francis’ Feb. 12-17 Mexico visit was “a very emotional week” that tried “to bring a word of hope and mercy to some of the poorest and most oppressed people in this hemisphere.” “That’s what the Pope was saying – that immigration is about people, not economics or politics. It’s about children and families who are suffering,” he said. “The Pope was obviously deeply moved by the human tragedy of millions of people suffering from the corruption of leaders, criminal gangs, human trafficking, violence and poverty, economic injustice,” he said Feb. 19. “That’s what the Pope is thinking about – not our election debates or candidates.” On a Feb. 18 in-flight interview, a journalist asked Pope Francis to respond to the positions and claims of leading Republican presidential Donald Trump, who has characterized the Pope as a “pawn” for the Mexican government. “Trump said that if he’s elected, he wants to build 2,500 kilometers of wall along the border. 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We must see if he said things in that way and in this I give the benefit of the doubt.” In a Feb. 18 reaction, Trump claimed that the Mexican government “has made many disparaging remarks about me to the Pope, because they want to continue to rip off the United States.” “The Pope only heard one side of the story – he didn’t see the crime, the drug trafficking and the negative economic impact the current policies have on the United States,” he said. Trump also portrayed the Pope’s comments as questioning his integrity. “For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful,” he said. “I am proud to be a Christian and as President I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened.” “No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith,” Trump said, repeating his claim that the Pope is being used as a pawn. 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The archbishop said that Pope Francis’ Feb. 12-17 Mexico visit was “a very emotional week” that tried “to bring a word of hope and mercy to some of the poorest and most oppressed people in this hemisphere.” “That’s what the Pope was saying – that immigration is about people, not economics or politics. It’s about children and families who are suffering,” he said. “The Pope was obviously deeply moved by the human tragedy of millions of people suffering from the corruption of leaders, criminal gangs, human trafficking, violence and poverty, economic injustice,” he said Feb. 19. “That’s what the Pope is thinking about – not our election debates or candidates.” On a Feb. 18 in-flight interview, a journalist asked Pope Francis to respond to the positions and claims of leading Republican presidential Donald Trump, who has characterized the Pope as a “pawn” for the Mexican government. “Trump said that if he’s elected, he wants to build 2,500 kilometers of wall along the border. He wants to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, separating families, etc.,” the journalist said, asking for the Pope’s response. Pope Francis responded, saying, “As to whether I am a pawn, well, maybe, I don't know. I'll leave that up to your judgment and that of the people. And then, a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel.”   The Pope said he would not get involved in the question of who someone should vote for, adding, “I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that. We must see if he said things in that way and in this I give the benefit of the doubt.” In a Feb. 18 reaction, Trump claimed that the Mexican government “has made many disparaging remarks about me to the Pope, because they want to continue to rip off the United States.” “The Pope only heard one side of the story – he didn’t see the crime, the drug trafficking and the negative economic impact the current policies have on the United States,” he said. Trump also portrayed the Pope’s comments as questioning his integrity. “For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful,” he said. “I am proud to be a Christian and as President I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened.” “No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith,” Trump said, repeating his claim that the Pope is being used as a pawn. Archbishop Gomez reflected on the general reaction to the Pope’s comments. “Pope Francis was asked a provocative question and unfortunately it resulted in a media controversy. But it’s important to remember that the Holy Father is a pastor, not a politician. And when he speaks, he speaks always as a pastor, not as a politician.” “From a pastor’s perspective, immigration is a humanitarian crisis,” the archbishop said. “And a good pastor calls us to conversion, to greater compassion and empathy for those who are vulnerable and weak.” Archbishop Gomez acknowledged the need for secure borders as “the duty of a sovereign nation.” “But we also have a duty – as human beings and as Christians – to respond with compassion to those in need.” “We have families broken and hurting on both sides of the border and we have at least 11 million people living within our borders who are living as an almost permanent underclass, without rights or hopes for a better future.” “As Christians, we need to help these people somehow – no matter where they come from, no matter how they got here. They are mothers, fathers, children, grandparents. They are all our brothers and sisters.”","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/archbishop-gomez-the-popes-focus-is-human-suffering-not-donald-trump\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Archbishop Gomez: The Pope's focus is human suffering, not Donald Trump","og_description":"Los Angeles, Calif., Feb 19, 2016 \/ 04:20 pm (CNA).- The controversy surrounding Pope Francis’ off-the-cuff statements on his return flight from Mexico – and Donald Trump’s response – should not overshadow the underlying reason for the papal visit, said Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles. The archbishop said that Pope Francis’ Feb. 12-17 Mexico visit was “a very emotional week” that tried “to bring a word of hope and mercy to some of the poorest and most oppressed people in this hemisphere.” “That’s what the Pope was saying – that immigration is about people, not economics or politics. It’s about children and families who are suffering,” he said. “The Pope was obviously deeply moved by the human tragedy of millions of people suffering from the corruption of leaders, criminal gangs, human trafficking, violence and poverty, economic injustice,” he said Feb. 19. “That’s what the Pope is thinking about – not our election debates or candidates.” On a Feb. 18 in-flight interview, a journalist asked Pope Francis to respond to the positions and claims of leading Republican presidential Donald Trump, who has characterized the Pope as a “pawn” for the Mexican government. “Trump said that if he’s elected, he wants to build 2,500 kilometers of wall along the border. He wants to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, separating families, etc.,” the journalist said, asking for the Pope’s response. Pope Francis responded, saying, “As to whether I am a pawn, well, maybe, I don't know. I'll leave that up to your judgment and that of the people. And then, a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel.”   The Pope said he would not get involved in the question of who someone should vote for, adding, “I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that. We must see if he said things in that way and in this I give the benefit of the doubt.” In a Feb. 18 reaction, Trump claimed that the Mexican government “has made many disparaging remarks about me to the Pope, because they want to continue to rip off the United States.” “The Pope only heard one side of the story – he didn’t see the crime, the drug trafficking and the negative economic impact the current policies have on the United States,” he said. Trump also portrayed the Pope’s comments as questioning his integrity. “For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful,” he said. “I am proud to be a Christian and as President I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened.” “No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith,” Trump said, repeating his claim that the Pope is being used as a pawn. Archbishop Gomez reflected on the general reaction to the Pope’s comments. “Pope Francis was asked a provocative question and unfortunately it resulted in a media controversy. But it’s important to remember that the Holy Father is a pastor, not a politician. And when he speaks, he speaks always as a pastor, not as a politician.” “From a pastor’s perspective, immigration is a humanitarian crisis,” the archbishop said. “And a good pastor calls us to conversion, to greater compassion and empathy for those who are vulnerable and weak.” Archbishop Gomez acknowledged the need for secure borders as “the duty of a sovereign nation.” “But we also have a duty – as human beings and as Christians – to respond with compassion to those in need.” “We have families broken and hurting on both sides of the border and we have at least 11 million people living within our borders who are living as an almost permanent underclass, without rights or hopes for a better future.” “As Christians, we need to help these people somehow – no matter where they come from, no matter how they got here. They are mothers, fathers, children, grandparents. They are all our brothers and sisters.”","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/archbishop-gomez-the-popes-focus-is-human-suffering-not-donald-trump\/","og_site_name":"Catholic News","article_published_time":"2016-02-19T23:20:00+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/size340\/Abp_Jose_Gomez_at_the_Pontifical_North_American_College_on_May_2_2015_Credit_Daniel_Ibanez_CNA_5_2_15.jpg"}],"author":"CNA Daily News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"CNA Daily News","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/archbishop-gomez-the-popes-focus-is-human-suffering-not-donald-trump\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/archbishop-gomez-the-popes-focus-is-human-suffering-not-donald-trump\/","name":"Archbishop Gomez: The Pope's focus is human suffering, not Donald Trump","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website"},"datePublished":"2016-02-19T23:20:00+00:00","dateModified":"2016-02-19T23:20:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1"},"description":"Los Angeles, Calif., Feb 19, 2016 \/ 04:20 pm (CNA).- The controversy surrounding Pope Francis’ off-the-cuff statements on his return flight from Mexico – and Donald Trump’s response – should not overshadow the underlying reason for the papal visit, said Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles. The archbishop said that Pope Francis’ Feb. 12-17 Mexico visit was “a very emotional week” that tried “to bring a word of hope and mercy to some of the poorest and most oppressed people in this hemisphere.” “That’s what the Pope was saying – that immigration is about people, not economics or politics. It’s about children and families who are suffering,” he said. “The Pope was obviously deeply moved by the human tragedy of millions of people suffering from the corruption of leaders, criminal gangs, human trafficking, violence and poverty, economic injustice,” he said Feb. 19. “That’s what the Pope is thinking about – not our election debates or candidates.” On a Feb. 18 in-flight interview, a journalist asked Pope Francis to respond to the positions and claims of leading Republican presidential Donald Trump, who has characterized the Pope as a “pawn” for the Mexican government. “Trump said that if he’s elected, he wants to build 2,500 kilometers of wall along the border. He wants to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, separating families, etc.,” the journalist said, asking for the Pope’s response. Pope Francis responded, saying, “As to whether I am a pawn, well, maybe, I don't know. I'll leave that up to your judgment and that of the people. And then, a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel.”   The Pope said he would not get involved in the question of who someone should vote for, adding, “I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that. We must see if he said things in that way and in this I give the benefit of the doubt.” In a Feb. 18 reaction, Trump claimed that the Mexican government “has made many disparaging remarks about me to the Pope, because they want to continue to rip off the United States.” “The Pope only heard one side of the story – he didn’t see the crime, the drug trafficking and the negative economic impact the current policies have on the United States,” he said. Trump also portrayed the Pope’s comments as questioning his integrity. “For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful,” he said. “I am proud to be a Christian and as President I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened.” “No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith,” Trump said, repeating his claim that the Pope is being used as a pawn. Archbishop Gomez reflected on the general reaction to the Pope’s comments. “Pope Francis was asked a provocative question and unfortunately it resulted in a media controversy. But it’s important to remember that the Holy Father is a pastor, not a politician. And when he speaks, he speaks always as a pastor, not as a politician.” “From a pastor’s perspective, immigration is a humanitarian crisis,” the archbishop said. “And a good pastor calls us to conversion, to greater compassion and empathy for those who are vulnerable and weak.” Archbishop Gomez acknowledged the need for secure borders as “the duty of a sovereign nation.” “But we also have a duty – as human beings and as Christians – to respond with compassion to those in need.” “We have families broken and hurting on both sides of the border and we have at least 11 million people living within our borders who are living as an almost permanent underclass, without rights or hopes for a better future.” “As Christians, we need to help these people somehow – no matter where they come from, no matter how they got here. They are mothers, fathers, children, grandparents. They are all our brothers and sisters.”","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/archbishop-gomez-the-popes-focus-is-human-suffering-not-donald-trump\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/archbishop-gomez-the-popes-focus-is-human-suffering-not-donald-trump\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/archbishop-gomez-the-popes-focus-is-human-suffering-not-donald-trump\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Archbishop Gomez: The Pope’s focus is human suffering, not Donald Trump"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/","name":"Catholic News","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1","name":"CNA Daily News","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"CNA Daily News"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/author\/cna-daily-news\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1031"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13052"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13052\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}