Washington Post columnist George Will took a shot at Pope Francis Thursday after the pontiff supposedly criticized billionaire businessman Donald Trump’s plan to build a wall on the southern border.
“I don’t think the pope should intervene in our politics. I particularly think he’s not up to speed on what we’re arguing about,” Will said in an phone interview with Newsmax TV’s Steve Malzberg. “And this pope has shown a proclivity — to put it politely — for speaking about things about which he has no particular expertise.”
“Climate change, income redistribution and all the rest,” he continued, adding that Francis has a “Latin American, left-wing political agenda, and I think it influenced this.”
Will’s remarks come after Francis caused a media meltdown Thursday with an answer to a 2016 election-related question.
“Today, you spoke very eloquently about the problems of immigration. On the other side of the border, there is a very tough electoral battle. One of the candidates for the White House, Republican Donald Trump, in an interview recently said that you are a political man and he even said that you are a pawn, an instrument of the Mexican government for migration politics,” Reuters’ Phil Pullella said in Mexico.
“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, etcetera. I would like to ask you, what do you think of these accusations against you and if a North American Catholic can vote for a person like this?” he asked.
Francis responded in a fashion that left pretty much everyone in the press convinced that he had accused Trump of not being a Christian.
“Thank God he said I was a politician because Aristotle defined the human person as ‘animal politicus.’ At least I am a human person. 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,” the pope said.
“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. As far as what you said about whether I would advise to vote or not to vote, I am not going to get involved in that. 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,” he added.
For the press, there was no doubt that Francis had commented specifically on immigration policy and that he had also condemned the 2016 GOP front-runner.
Will is not alone is saying the pope’s opinions and remarks are essentially worthless.
“The pope likes to opine in areas outside his expertise,” Fox News contributor Judge Napolitano said later Thursday evening.
