Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, pushed back against the Pope’s criticism of the administration’s policies, calling on the Vatican to refrain from involvement in U.S. immigration matters as tensions between the two sides intensify.

Speaking Tuesday outside the White House, Homan said he was offering his personal view as a lifelong Catholic, emphasizing that church leadership should not intervene in decisions related to American border enforcement, according to a report by The Hill.

He argued that those opposing the administration’s stricter immigration measures might change their perspective if they witnessed conditions firsthand at the southern border, pointing to cases involving human trafficking and migrant fatalities as justification for the current approach, The Hill reported.

Homan also commented on a now-removed Truth Social post that showed Trump in what appeared to be a religious setting, saying the president rejected any religious interpretation and instead viewed the image as portraying him as a doctor “healing” people, according to The Hill’s account.

His remarks come as tensions between Trump and Pope Leo XIV have become more public, with disagreements spanning immigration policy and broader international issues, The Hill noted.

Trump has also publicly criticized the Pope, describing him as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy,” according to remarks captured on video and circulated by C-SPAN.

The Pope, in turn, has responded that he has “no fear of the Trump administration” and that his comments are rooted in his religious mission, saying he is simply preaching the gospel, according to the same coverage.

{Matzav.com}