I came thisclose to making this today's Final Word. Because, y'know, a papal observation seems rather fitting for that position, does it not?

The clear alternate headline in everyone's mind has to be: Pope Francis Says What Most People Think About Every Election. The pontiff in this case focused his political observations on the doctrine of life, but more in the "seamless garment" sense:

Asked about the U.S. presidential election on his flight back to Rome from Singapore, the pope said not welcoming migrants is a "grave" sin, and likened having an abortion to an "assassination".

Well, yes, but that doesn't mean that Catholics are required to open all borders and allow mass invasions either. The US has traditionally been one of the most welcoming of nations when it comes to immigration, but we ask that people immigrate lawfully. We also have been traditionally gracious towards refugees too, but that also has a process, and immigrants and refugees have a duty to respect both the law and the process. Catholic teaching also includes a duty to respect duly installed civic authorities and the law as long as neither are intrinsically unjust or evil. Those measures are an exercise in prudential judgment, in Catholic teaching, as befitting the issues surrounding migration and national security. 

To be fair, though, Pope Francis might be talking about the tone Trump uses in talking about illegal immigrants. Trump often casts illegal immigrants in a villainous context, including in the debate this week, in order to underscore his objections to the current status of border security. Pope Francis made similar complaints in the 2016 cycle about tone as well as Trump's plan to build a border wall, touching off a brief feud that both sides rushed to paper over shortly afterward. 

But regulating migration is not a sinful act in and of itself. On the other hand, Catholic teaching on abortion is absolute and without any nuance at all. It is "intrinsically evil," and any participation in or facilitation of an abortion is an excommunicating event, stated explicitly in the Catechism (pp 2270-75) as well as in canon law:

Canon Number 1398 states, in Latin and English, Qui abortum procurat, effectu secuto, in excommunicationem, latae sententiae, incurrat (Those who successfully abort a living human fetus bring on themselves instant excommunication).⁶

Qui abortum procurat means anyone who works to kill a human fetus in any manner at all.  This is not only the abortionist; it may be the boyfriend or husband who drives the mother to the abortion mill, pays for the abortion in full or in part, or who even advises that abortion may be an option in her case.

Latae sententiae means that the person brings instant excommunication upon himself or herself with his act.  No solemn pronouncement need be made by the Church or a bishop or priest, and no one else need even know about the abortion.  For automatic excommunication to take place, the woman must freely choose abortion.  If this is the case, she is cut off from the sacraments until she sincerely repents and makes a good confession.  This sanction also applies to the abortionist, attending nurse or counselor, and anyone else who assists in the abortion.^{7 …}

In fact, the United States Catholic Bishops have stated quite clearly that one cannot be Catholic and support even the general concept of abortion: “At this particular time abortion has become the fundamental human rights issue for all men and women of good will….No Catholic can responsibly take a ‘pro-choice’ stand when the ‘choice’ involves the taking of innocent human life.”⁸  In other words, the term “pro-choice Catholic” is the ultimate oxymoron.

Given this conundrum, one might have expected Pope Francis to advise American voters to give themselves the year off. Instead, the pontiff urged Catholics to vote by weighing the lesser of two evils ... and didn't offer any preference between them:

"Not voting is ugly," the 87-year-old pontiff said. "It is not good. You must vote."

"You must choose the lesser evil," he said. "Who is the lesser evil? That lady, or that gentleman? I don't know. Everyone, in conscience, (has to) think and do this."

That's fair enough, and good advice for Catholics and everyone else. I hear many people claim that they simply won't vote at all with these two choices at hand -- and that's certainly their right. Citizenship carries responsibility for participation, however, and the Pope is emphasizing that point by urging his flocks to think carefully and choose wisely.

And if this election is between abortion and immigration restrictions, the lesser of two evils becomes rather obvious from a Catholic perspective, even in "seamless garment" sense.