Pope Francis’s death ends a moral opposition to Trump’s migrant policy

The passing of Pope Francis removes a leading critic of Donald Trump’s immigration agenda and moral worldview.

Hats with the message "Immigrants Make America Great" are displayed during a "Hands Off!" rally opposing the Trump administration in Los Angeles, California, on April 5, 2025. Photo by Sarah Morris/Getty Images

By Anna Fadiah and Hayu Andini

Pope Francis’s death marks the end of a rare and sustained global moral opposition to former and potentially future U.S. President Donald Trump. More than a religious leader, the pope had become one of the most outspoken critics of Trump’s immigration policy and nationalistic vision — a role few global figures dared to play with such consistency and conviction.

In 2016, when Trump first launched his presidential campaign on a platform focused on building a wall along the U.S.–Mexico border, Pope Francis responded with sharp disapproval. "Anyone, whoever he is, who only wants to build walls and not bridges is not a Christian," the pope declared during a press briefing. Trump retaliated, calling the pope’s remarks "disgraceful," setting the tone for a strained relationship between two men who embodied starkly different values.

After Trump’s surprise election victory, while many world leaders either adjusted to or embraced the new American leadership, Francis remained a persistent critic. He was not merely commenting on politics; he was defending the human dignity of migrants, the poor, and the forgotten — groups frequently sidelined in Trump’s rhetoric.

A clash of worldviews

The contrast between Pope Francis and Donald Trump was not only ideological but also deeply personal. On one side stood a pontiff known for humility, simplicity, and a call for social justice; on the other, a leader often defined by ego, wealth, and political dominance.

"You cannot imagine two more different world leaders than Trump and Francis, in literally every way — ego versus humility, a focus on the poor versus a focus on power, walls not bridges," said John Carr, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University.

The ideological rift was visible again in 2024, when Pope Francis, in a letter to U.S. bishops, decried Trump’s renewed push for mass deportations as a "calamity." He called for the "dignified treatment that all people deserve," especially the most vulnerable. Trump’s camp responded with open hostility. Former immigration chief Tom Homan dismissed the pope’s concerns and advised him to "stick to the Catholic Church and fix that" instead of intervening in border policy.

Even so, Trump — who is known for mocking or sidelining those who criticize him — restrained himself after Francis’s passing. At an Easter egg hunt, Trump briefly remarked that the pope was "a good man" who "worked hard and loved the world." He also ordered flags flown at half-staff, a symbolic gesture that belied their years of contention.

The pope’s legacy in U.S. politics

Pope Francis’s death also casts a shadow over U.S. politics, particularly within the Catholic community. Catholics are the largest single religious denomination in the country. Although once a firm Democratic base, their support has shifted over time. In 2024, surveys showed that Trump won the Catholic vote by as much as 20 points, a margin that played a decisive role in the election outcome.

Despite this political drift, American Catholicism remains ideologically diverse. President Joe Biden, a lifelong and practicing Catholic, had a strong rapport with Francis. He praised the pontiff as "one of the most consequential leaders of our time." Their shared values included care for the poor and a focus on global unity, even though they occasionally disagreed on abortion.

Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, represents a very different strand of the faith. Vance's interpretation of Catholic teachings leans heavily on traditionalism, including gender roles and conservative moral views. After Pope Francis’s death, Vance spoke briefly of his respect for the pontiff but did not hide his admiration for theological rigidity.

A battle of interpretations

Vance, who often draws on the writings of Church fathers such as Augustine and Aquinas to justify nationalist and inward-focused policies, once wrote that Augustine’s critiques of societies driven by pleasure over duty were "the best criticism of our modern age I’ve ever read." After assuming the vice presidency, he used Aquinas’s notion of ordo amoris (order of love) to justify drastic cuts in foreign aid, arguing that Americans should love and serve their families before helping others abroad.

Francis saw such interpretations as a distortion of Catholic teaching. In a direct letter to U.S. bishops, he rejected this narrow view of ordo amoris, writing instead that it must mean building "a fraternity open to all, without exception."

John Carr noted the unusual nature of the pope’s public rebuke. "It’s extraordinary for a pope to correct a politician that specifically," he said. "Francis believed in the United States’ generosity to the poor and suffering around the world — a generosity that has been undermined."

De-emphasizing the culture war

Pope Francis also differed sharply from Trump-aligned Republicans on cultural issues. While he did not shift the Church’s doctrine on abortion, he frequently emphasized mercy over judgment, especially in regard to LGBTQ Catholics and divorced individuals. He urged the Church to prioritize inclusion and compassion — a position that often clashed with the American right’s focus on moral absolutes.

Julie Ingersoll, a professor of religious studies at the University of North Florida, observed that Francis intentionally softened the Church’s tone on culture war issues. "He focused on economic justice and global unity, while trying to steer away from divisive issues that dominate American religious politics," she said.

Trump, in contrast, has leaned heavily into these culture war themes, often using them to energize his base. Whether targeting transgender rights, school curricula, or immigration narratives, Trump has made polarizing rhetoric central to his political strategy.

An absence with consequences

With Pope Francis’s death, a rare international voice unafraid to challenge American nationalism has been silenced. Though the pope’s influence did not always translate into political action, his moral clarity offered a counterweight to rising isolationism and populist sentiment.

His passing also leaves a void in global diplomacy and religious engagement. Few figures combined the political stature, moral vision, and grassroots authenticity that defined Francis’s papacy. For many, he was more than a religious leader — he was a global conscience.

And now, as the world looks ahead to a possible second Trump presidency, that conscience is no longer speaking.