Pope Francis does not appoint him as Vladimir Putin. But it is clear that he is referring to him when he speaks of “the powerful who provoke and fuel conflict”. Bergoglio let himself go during his first speech before the civil authorities in Malta. “The darkness of war has come straight from Eastern Europe, from the East, where the light first rises.” The Pope speaks of the war in Ukraine. And he expresses all his pain and concern, warning of the danger of an “expanded Cold War.” “We thought invasions from other countries, brutal street fighting and nuclear threats were dark memories of a distant past. But the icy wind of war, which brings only death, destruction and hatred, has arrogantly hit the lives of many and every day says the Pope. And while once again some powerful, sadly ensnared in the anachronistic claims of nationalist interests, provoke and foment conflict, notes Francis, ordinary people feel the need to build a future that will either be together or not. Now, on the night of the war that has descended on humanity, let us not let the dream of peace fade.
“Malta, resplendent in the heart of the Mediterranean, can inspire us because there is an urgent need warns the Pope to restore the beauty of the human face disfigured by war. A beautiful Mediterranean statue from centuries BC depicts Peace, Irene, as a woman holding Pluto, wealth. Remember that peace breeds prosperity and war only poverty ». “We need compassion and caring, not ideological visions and populisms, Francis warns again, “that feed on words of hatred and do not care about the concrete lives of people, ordinary people. Bergoglio recalls: “More than Sixty years ago, in a world threatened with destruction, where ideological contradictions and the iron logic of alignments dictated the law, a countervailing voice rose from the Mediterranean basin, taking a prophetic leap to its own side in the name of universal fraternity. It was that of Giorgio La Pira who said: “The historical situation that we are living through, the clash of interests and ideologies that shakes humanity in the clutches of an incredible infantilism, gives back to the Mediterranean a great responsibility: to redefine the Norms of a measure where man left to delirium and immoderation can know himself. These are topical words: How much do we need a “human scale” in the face of the infantile and destructive aggression that threatens us, in the face of the threat of an extended Cold War that can suffocate the lives of entire peoples and generations!
“Unfortunately according to the Pope “infantilism has not disappeared. It reappears overwhelmingly in the seductions of autocracy, in the new imperialisms, in widespread aggression, in the inability to build bridges and move away from the poorest. From here the icy wind of war begins to blow, which has been fueled over the years. Yes, the war has been preparing for some time with large investments and arms deals. And it is sad to see how the enthusiasm for peace that emerged after World War II has faded in recent decades, as has the path of the international community, with a powerful few leading the way on their own, in search of spaces and zones of influence. And so not only peace, but many important issues such as the fight against hunger and inequality were de facto declassified from the main political agendas. But the solution to all crises is to take care of everyone’s, because global problems require global solutions. Let’s help each other to listen to people’s thirst for peace, let’s work to lay the foundations for an everwidening dialogue, let’s come together again for international conferences for peace, where disarmament is the central theme , looking to the generations to come! . “And the enormous funds that continue to be spent on armaments should be converted into development, health and nutrition,” he demands, also with a view to the Middle East, “which is reflected in the language of this country, which harmonises with others, as if to recall the ability of the Maltese to create a beneficial coexistence in a kind of conviviality of differences. The Middle East needs this: Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and other contexts torn apart by problems and violence. May Malta, the heart of the Mediterranean, keep beating the heartbeat of hope, caring for life, welcoming others, yearning for peace, with the help of God whose name is peace.