Pope Francis has made a shock intervention in the US election as he launched a scathing attack on both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
Speaking on a flight from Singapore to Rome, the Pope blasted Harris's pro-abortion stance and Trump's immigration policies.
He called abortion an "assassination" and labelled Trump's deportation plans a "grave" sin.
The pontiff then urged American Catholics to "choose the lesser evil" at the polls in November.
Without naming names, Francis referred to the candidates' policies and genders. "Not voting is ugly. It is not good. You must vote," he said.
"You must choose the lesser evil. Who is the lesser evil? That lady, or that gentleman? I don't know."
He added: "Whether it is the one who is chasing away migrants or the one who that kills children. Both are againstlife."
The comments came after a 12-day tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania.
Harris has vowed to restore national abortion protections, while Trump plans to deport millions of immigrants.
American Catholics, numbering 52 million, are a crucial voter group in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The Pope rarely weighs in on elections but has previously criticised Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric, once saying he was "not Christian".
