Any Mexicans who help to build Donald Trump’s planned border wall should be seen as “traitors to the homeland”, the top leader of the Mexican Catholic church said on Sunday.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico published an editorial on the subject of Mr Trump’s proposed $12 billion wall between the two nations, in which it encouraged the Mexican government to penalise companies involved in its construction.

“Any company intending to invest in the wall of the fanatic Trump would be immoral, but above all its shareholders and owners should be considered traitors to the homeland,” the controversial editorial argued.

On Tuesday, Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo warned firms it would not be in their "interests" to participate in the wall. But the editorial accused the government of responding "tepidly" to those eyeing the project for business, as reported in Reuters. 

The Desde la fe editorial, which was published online, said the barrier would only feed prejudice and discrimination.

"In practice, signing up for a project that is a serious affront to dignity is shooting yourself in the foot," it wrote. Mexican cement maker Cemex has said it is open to providing quotes to supply raw materials for the wall but will not take part in the bidding process to build it.

Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua, another company specializing in construction materials, has also signaled readiness to work on the project.