ROME.- In his traditional New Year’s greeting to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See Pope Francis today expressed his concern about the “weakening of democracy” and growing polarization in Brazil., where Bolsonaro protesters took over the Congress yesterday. He also condemned it again in the strongest possible terms “senseless” war in Ukraine, an example for “World War III”as well as Death sentences imposed in Iran after the demonstrations demanding more respect for women and the “alleged ‘right to abortion'”.
In an eight-page speech in which he dramatic situations that haunt humanityFrancisco mentioned what is happening “in the last few hours in Brazil” when expressing his concern “Weakening, in many parts of the world, of democracy and the possibility of freedom that it allows, even with all the limitations of a human system.”
“In many areas this is a sign of the weakening of democracy growing political and social polarizations that do not help to solve the urgent problems of the citizens”, said. And he referred to the “numerous political crises in various countries on the American continent with their burden of tension and forms of violence that exacerbate social conflicts”. In this context, he mentioned the recent events in Peru, in the last few hours, in Brazil and the worrying situation in Haiti. “It is always necessary to overcome biased logic and strive to build the common good”, he hinted as he addressed the ambassadors of the 183 countries that have diplomatic relations with the Holy See in the magnificent blessing hall of the Apostolic Palace. Among them was the Argentine Ambassador María Fernanda Silva.
At the beginning of his long speech, Pope Francis thanked the expressions of condolences on the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict and “for the closeness shown during the funeral” last Thursday. These were marked by the explosive advances of a controversial autobiographical book to be published this week by his private secretary Georg Ganswein, who was received in audience by Pope Francis this morning, according to the Bulletin of the Holy See.
The ex-archbishop of Buenos Aires, 86 years old and in relatively good shape – he entered the room on foot, helped by a cane – recalled that this year marks the 60th anniversary of St. John XXIII’s encyclical Pacem in Terris. And that in the eyes of the “good Pope” the danger of nuclear war provoked by the so-called Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962 was still alive. “Humanity would be one step away from its own extinction if it had not been able to enforce dialogue, aware of the destructive effects of nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, even today, the nuclear threat continues to be invoked and terrifies the world,” he said, alluding to Vladimir Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons, which he neither mentioned nor mentioned Russia.
Pope Francis with members of Vatican Media’s Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See
Besides emphasizing that “possession of nuclear weapons is immoral” and “under the threat of nuclear weapons we all lose”, he later lamented that “today the Third World War is underway in a globalized world where conflicts seem to have direct effect only on some areas of the planet, but affecting essentially all”. “The next and most recent example is precisely the war in Ukraine, with its trail of death and destruction; with attacks on civilian infrastructure, killing people not only from bombs and violence, but also from hunger and cold,” he said. In a renewed and sharp condemnation of Russia, which he did not mention, Pope Francis quoted the Apostolic Constitution Gaudium et Spes of the Second Vatican Council, which states that “any act of war aimed indiscriminately at the destruction of entire cities or vast areas of the country and its inhabitants is a crime against God and humanity that must be decidedly and unhesitatingly condemned.
He also remembered that the war in Ukraine, which turned 320 days old today, “especially affects the most vulnerable people – children, the elderly, the disabled – and indelibly hurts families.” In this frame He again called for “an immediate end to this senseless conflict, the effects of which are affecting entire regions, even outside of Europe”.because of the impact this is having on the energy sector and on the food production sector, particularly in Africa and the Middle East”.
Apart from Syria, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Yemen, Myanmar and other affected areas of the world, the Pope spoke of the deadly consequences of a constant resort to the production of new and ever more sophisticated weapons and called for “breaking this logic and taking the path of comprehensive disarmament”.
After Francis recalled that for Saint John XXIII. Peace is possible in the face of four fundamental goods – truth, justice, solidarity and freedom – Pope Francis criticized the “alleged ‘right to abortion'” that several countries, including France, the United States and even the European Union. want to include in their magna cartas. Indeed, he underscored that “Peace requires that life be defended above all else, a good which today is endangered not only by conflict, hunger and disease, but all too often even from birth, assuming a supposed ‘right to abortion’ affirmed.” . “No one can claim the right over another person’s life, especially when they are defenseless and deprived of any means of defence,” he said.
In this context, he condemned the executions in Iran following demonstrations for respect for women and called for the abolition of the death penalty, “which is always inadmissible because it threatens the inviolability and dignity of the person, from the laws of all countries in the world.
On the other hand, he emphasized the importance of education and considered it “unacceptable that part of the population can be excluded from education, as is the case with Afghan women”.
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