VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis backed the Catholic bishops in the United States who condemned the practice of separating children from parents after families are caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, according to an interview published Wednesday.

Francis was asked about the family-separation policy during the interview with Reuters conducted Sunday. The pope replied: “Let it be clear that on these things I respect” the bishops’ stance.

Galveston-Houston Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, who heads the U.S. bishops’ conference, said last week that “separating babies from their mothers is not the answer and is immoral.”

Francis said during the Vatican interview that his position on both that issue and U.S. developments in general “lines up with the Episcopate.”

“I take the side of the Episcopate and stand behind them. Not to wash my hands, but because I don’t know well things from there,” Reuters quoted the pontiff saying.

He recalled celebrating Mass near the border during his 2016 visit to Mexico.

Cardinal DiNardo said in a June 13 statement that he was joining Bishop Joe Vasquez, who chairs the conference’s committee on migration, in “condemning the continued use of family separation at the U.S./Mexico border as an implementation of the (Trump) administration’s zero-tolerance policy.”

However, Francis told Reuters that the problem with American immigration policy “isn’t just Trump’s, but also of the governments before.”

“I believe you mustn’t push back people who arrive, you must receive them,” the pope said.

Francis pointed to Greece and Italy as examples of countries which have been courageous and generous in welcoming these people.”

However, Italy’s new populist government this month refused to allow a rescue ship carrying 630 migrants to dock.