'There are difficulties with one and difficulties with the other' - Pope Francis urges US Catholics to pray before voting

'I would only say, study the proposals well, pray and choose with your conscience.'

Pope Francis spoke to reporters on the Papal Plane from Georgia and Azerbaijan on Sunday, where he revealed the best way US Catholics can approach the upcoming presidential election.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - John Jeremiah Sullivan, of the New York Times Magazine, told the Pontiff the US is fast approaching the presidential election.

Unfortunately, one of the candidates "diverts from some aspects of the Church's teaching," while the other "has made statements vilifying immigrants and religious minorities."

Sullivan asked His Holiness how he would "counsel the faithful in America and what wisdom would you have them keep in mind next month when the election occurs?"

The Pontiff responded: "You pose me a question where you describe a difficult choice, because, according to you, you have difficulty in one and you have difficulty in the other.

"In electoral campaigns, I never say a word.

"The people are sovereign. I'll just say a word: Study the proposals well, pray and choose in conscience. Then, I'll leave the issue and I speak of a fiction, because I don't want to speak to this concrete issue.

"When it happens that in whatever country here are 2, 3, 4 candidates that no one likes, that means that the political life of the nation perhaps is too politicized but perhaps it doesn't have that much politics.

"And, one of the jobs of the church, also in the teaching in the (university) faculties, is teaching to have political culture.

"There are nations, and I'm thinking of Latin America, which are too politicized. But, they don't have political culture. They are from this party, or this one or this one.

"Effectively, (they are) without a clear thought on the foundations, the proposals."

Hillary Clinton supports abortion while Donald Trump openly called Pope Francis' comments on a wall "disgraceful."

Neither candidate has expressed any real religious views, though Trump claims to be a Christian and Clinton claims to be a Methodist.

Neither candidate seems to be particularly in line with the values of the Catholic Church and neither has a pristine record.

Are Trump's hate speeches better or worse than Clinton's controversial actions during her husband's presidency?

Can a businessman be a better president than a politician? Do Trump's past financial failures stand above Clinton's dismissal of the law when it comes to the use of a private server she claims she didn't know was wrong?

Please take Pope Francis' advice into consideration and pray, carefully review the proposals, let your conscience guide you and research each candidate.

Don't rely on information coming second, third or fourth-hand from someone you know and definitely don't assume any pro-Clinton or pro-Trump site will give you the full story on the opposing candidate.

Look into the facts yourself, really study each candidate's proposals, research each candidate's choices for vice-president and what agendas those people follow, pray and let your conscience guide you.

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