In his homily at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis spoke of the origin of dictatorships and the dangers that precede them.
POPE FRANCIS
“Dictatorships, all of them, have begun like this, by adulterating communication, putting it in the hands of an unscrupulous person, of a corrupt government.”
The Holy Father said individuals are also guilty of this misuse of communication on a daily basis, when they speak ill of others or spread scandals. Thus, he urged Christians to reflect on the many people and countries it has destroyed.
EXCERPTS FROM THE POPE'S HOMILY
(Source: Vatican Media)
Pope Francis pointed out that even today this method of slanderous communication is used in many countries. Media and communication law is brushed aside with the entire communication system handed to a company or a group that weakens democratic life with slander and falsehood. The judges then condemn these weakened institutions and destroyed people. That’s how dictatorship works, the Pope said.
The Pope said many persons and nations have been destroyed by evil and slanderous dictatorships, such as in the last century. He particularly pointed to the example of the persecution of Jews, who because of a slanderous communication did not deserve to live and thus ended up at Auschwitz.
The Pope said James the Apostle speaks precisely of the 'destructive capacity of evil communication'. The Holy Father thus exhorted Christians to re-read the episode of Naboth and think of the many people and countries destroyed by dictatorships of 'white gloves'.
