Compassion Not Hypocrisy

By Joseph Carvalko | 27 April 2025
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(Credit: Joe Carvalko / Facebook)

Trump’s presence at Pope Francis’s funeral was an astounding display of hypocrisy. While we may have differing opinions on many issues, we hope that those who lead us—whether spiritually or politically—share our fundamental values.

Philosopher Martha Nussbaum argues that compassion is a crucial moral emotion, essential for both personal ethics and public life. She defines compassion as a rational response that involves three critical judgments: recognizing the seriousness of another’s suffering, understanding that this suffering is not entirely the individual’s fault, and acknowledging that the well-being of the sufferer is intertwined with our own.

Much like Nussbaum, Pope Francis emphasized that compassion goes beyond mere pity; it requires us to “suffer with” others—truly empathizing and sharing in their pain. He has warned against indifference, urging us to replace it with compassion and solidarity, both in our communities and globally. The Pope has called for active involvement in addressing the problems of others, prioritizing their needs over our own, and striving for justice. As he stated, “Compassion takes us on the path to true justice. We must always return what rightfully belongs to another, and this always saves us from selfishness, from indifference, from closing ourselves off.”

In stark contrast, the actions of the Trump administration reflect a complete disregard for these values.

Earlier this month, at least three U.S. citizen children—aged 2, 4, and 7—were deported from Louisiana to Honduras along with their mothers. These deportations occurred without adequate due process, raising significant legal and humanitarian concerns. In one instance, a federal judge condemned the government for deporting a 2-year-old U.S. citizen “with no meaningful process,” despite the court’s attempts to intervene.

Pope Francis had been a vocal advocate for the humane treatment of migrants, consistently criticizing harsh immigration policies, including those enacted by President Trump. The disagreements between the two on immigration have been public, with the Pope once stating that building barriers to exclude migrants is “not Christian,” a clear reference to Trump’s border policies.

Given Trump’s well-documented efforts to deport immigrants—especially US citizen children, without due process—and Pope Francis’s strong advocacy for migrants’ rights, his attendance at the funeral can only be seen as hypocritical at best.

Joseph Carvalko is an American lawyer, who for over four decades has represented numerous organizations and individuals, from billionaires to indigents. He has been actively engaged in organizations such as Amnesty International, as its Legislative Coordinator for the State of New Mexico; the Sioux City American Indian Center, board member/activist; and Chairman, Technology and Ethics Working Research Group, Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics, Yale University, and Adjunct Professor of Law at Quinnipiac University, School of Law, teaching Law, Science and Technology. He has also worked as a technologist, where he’s been awarded 18 patents in various fields. Carvalko has authored over twelve books which include novels, poetry, law, science and the humanities. His articles appear regularly in a variety of publications and blogs. He lives on the U.S. east coast and in the New Mexico mountains.

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