Donald Trump has escalated his conflict with Pope Leo by targeting the Catholic Church’s aid for migrants. The US president criticized the Vatican chief, accusing him of being weak on crime and foreign policy. As a result, federal funding for a charity that supports migrant children in Florida has been revoked. The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, which has been receiving $11 million in government funding, faces closure within a year without this financial support.
The Department of Health and Human Services withdrew the funding citing a decrease in the number of children under the care of the archdiocese, dropping from 22,000 under Joe Biden to 1,900 under Donald Trump. The decision to cut funding, first discussed in March, has raised concerns about the charity’s future. Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, expressed dismay over the abrupt funding cancellation, emphasizing the critical services provided to unaccompanied minors and the potential impact of the closure.
While the funding cut is not directly linked to the dispute between Trump and the Pope, tensions between the two leaders are evident. The Pope recently criticized global leaders, including an apparent reference to Trump, for waging wars at the expense of the people. This development comes amidst a backdrop of strained relations between the US administration and the Catholic Church, highlighting broader geopolitical and humanitarian concerns.