In a surprising move targeting the Catholic Church’s stance on migrants, President Donald Trump has escalated his dispute with Pope Leo. The US leader recently criticized the Vatican chief, labeling him as “ineffective on crime” and “even worse on foreign policy,” leading to the withdrawal of federal funding for a charity supporting migrants in Florida.
The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, which has been aiding migrant children for six decades with $11 million in government support, faces potential closure within a year without this funding. The decision to cut the funding by the Department of Health and Human Services was influenced by a decrease in the number of children under the archdiocese’s care, dropping from 22,000 under Joe Biden to 1,900 under Trump.
Although the funding removal was initiated before Trump’s clash with Pope Leo, Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami expressed concerns that the organization may only survive for another three months without financial assistance. The Archbishop highlighted the charity’s longstanding commitment to serving unaccompanied minors and criticized the government’s choice to end a program with proven benefits.
While the shutdown of the charity is not directly linked to Trump’s feud with the Pope, tensions between the two have been heightened. Pope Leo, who has previously shown defiance towards the Trump administration, recently criticized world leaders for fueling conflicts and using religion to justify wars during his visit to Cameroon.