In a surprising move, President Donald Trump has escalated his dispute with Pope Leo by targeting the Catholic Church’s stance on migrants. Trump criticized the Vatican leader as “weak 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 has been aiding migrant children for six decades, thanks to $11 million in government funding. However, with the funding revoked, the charity faces closure within a year, a decision labeled as “baffling” by the Archbishop of Miami.
According to The Daily Beast, the Department of Health and Human Services cut funding due to a decrease in the number of children under the archdiocese’s care. The charity’s beneficiaries dropped from 22,000 under Joe Biden to 1,900 under Trump, prompting concerns about its sustainability.
The funding cut was initiated before Trump’s public feud with Pope Leo, also known as Robert Francis Provost. Archbishop Thomas Wenski expressed dismay over the loss of crucial support for unaccompanied children, emphasizing the charity’s longstanding excellence in serving this vulnerable population.
While the shutdown of the charity is not directly linked to Trump’s clash with the Pope, tensions between the two leaders have heightened. The Pope recently criticized global leaders for fueling conflicts and using religion as a pretext for war during a visit to Cameroon, suggesting a strained relationship with the Trump administration.