Pope Francis — "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not bui…"
A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian.
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More from Pope Francis
"If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?"
"The Lord always forgives. We men forgive sometimes. Nature never forgives."
"The Holy Spirit is a troublemaker."
"Mercy is not a beautiful idea, it is a concrete reality."
"A good laugh is good for the soul."
About Pope Francis (born 1936)
First Latin American and Jesuit pope (2013-), who has steered the Catholic Church toward pastoral inclusion on LGBTQ pastoral care, divorced Catholics, and climate. Closely associated with Pope John XXIII (the Vatican II reformer pope) and Cardinal Walter Kasper (his theological ally on pastoral reform). For an intellectual contrast, see Cardinal Raymond Burke, American traditionalist cardinal, former head of the Vatican Apostolic Signatura — Burke is the public face of Catholic traditionalism that views Francis's pastoral approach as doctrinally dangerous — he has formally challenged Amoris Laetitia and other Francis reforms.
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Understanding this quote
What it means
The quote argues that Christianity is fundamentally incompatible with exclusion and isolation. 'Building walls' represents any impulse—political, social, or personal—to shut out the vulnerable, the foreign, or the different. 'Building bridges' means active solidarity, hospitality, and connection. Francis asserts that authentic Christian identity demands openness to others, especially the marginalized. Faith cannot coexist with a mentality that prioritizes self-protection and rejection over mercy and welcome.
Relevance to Pope Francis
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Francis is the first Jesuit pope and first from the Global South. He chose his name from Francis of Assisi, patron of the poor. Raised amid Argentina's deep inequality, he built his ministry around slum communities. As pope he has washed the feet of refugees, repeatedly condemned border closures, and made care for migrants a defining pillar of his pontificate.
The era
Francis spoke these words in February 2016, directly responding to Donald Trump's campaign pledge to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Europe simultaneously faced its largest refugee crisis since World War II, with over a million asylum seekers arriving in 2015. Nationalist and anti-immigration movements were surging across the West, and his statement inserted the Church squarely into global debates about borders, sovereignty, and wealthy nations' moral obligations toward displaced people.
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