VATICAN CITY - Pope Leo urged the world’s Catholics to help immigrants in his first major document, which was released on Oct 9 and invoked one of the late Pope Francis’ strongest criticisms of US President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration policies.

Pope Leo’s document, known as an apostolic exhortation, is focused on the needs of the world’s poor. It calls for widespread changes to the global market system to address rising inequality and to help people living pay cheque-to-pay cheque.

The 104-page text started as a writing project by Pope Francis, who was unable to complete it before his death in April after 12 years leading the global Church of 1.4 billion people. It was finished by Pope Leo, the first US Pope.

“I am happy to make this document my own – adding some reflections – and to issue it at the beginning of my own pontificate,” Pope Leo writes at the beginning of the text.

Elected in May to replace Pope Francis, Pope Leo has shown a much more reserved style than his predecessor, who frequently criticised the Trump administration.

But Pope Leo has been

ramping up his disapproval in recent weeks

“The Church, like a mother, accompanies those who are walking,” the pontiff writes in the document, titled “Dilexi te” (I have loved you).

“She knows that in every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community.”

“Where the world sees threats, (the Church) sees children; where walls are built, she builds bridges,” Pope Leo says, referencing Francis’ 2016 criticism of Mr Trump as “not Christian” because of the president’s plan in his first term to build a...