00:00Pope Leo XIV has weighed in on U.S. politics for the first time since being elected in May,
00:07commenting on hot topics roiling the domestic scene, like abortion and immigration.
00:12The first U.S.-born Poniff pointed out contradictions surrounding the anti-abortion debate
00:17and questioned what it really means to be pro-life.
00:21Someone who says I'm against abortion but says I'm in favor of the death penalty is not really pro-life.
00:27So someone who says that I'm against abortion but I'm in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States,
00:37I don't know if that's pro-life. So they're very complex issues.
00:42White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt disputed the concerns raised by the Pope.
00:47I would reject there is inhumane treatment of illegal immigrants in the United States under this administration.
00:53There was, however, significant inhumane treatment of illegal immigrants in the previous administration.
00:59This administration is trying to enforce our nation's laws in the most humane way possible,
01:06and we're upholding the law, and we're doing that on behalf of the people of our country who live here.
01:12The Pope's comments came after Chicago Cardinal Blaise Cupich nominated Illinois Senator Dick Durbin
01:18for the Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on helping immigrants.
01:23Durbin's nomination drew heavy criticism from conservative U.S. bishops,
01:27who rejected him due to his strong support for female abortion rights,
01:31which goes against the Vatican's official position.
01:34Durbin has since declined the award, causing Cupich to call for greater unity
01:38and less polarization in order to advance the role of the Church in the U.S. political scene.
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