Pope Francis says there is a conscious global campaign against religion and believers.
The Pope spoke these words during his speech at the beginning of the year to the ambassadors accredited to the Holy See.
Pope Francis still shows signs of having a cold and, in fact, he let most of the speech be read by an aide.
POPE FRANCIS
It represents a form of genuine ideological colonization that attempts, in accordance with carefully planned agendas, to uproot the traditions, history and religious bonds of peoples.
The Pope did not cite any specific cases, but he lamented that, in some places, a mentality has been implemented that seeks to destroy everything that is different and that does not conform to a majority.
POPE FRANCIS
This is a mentality that, by claiming to leave behind what are considered to be “the dark pages of history”, opens the door to the “cancel culture”. It tolerates no differences and focuses on individual rights, to the detriment of duties towards others, especially the weakest and most vulnerable.
The Pope said religious freedom is being tested not only in countries where there is terrorism or where dictatorships rule, but is also being questioned in the democratic West.
POPE FRANCIS
Nor can I remain silent about the numerous persecutions against various Christian communities, often perpetrated by terrorist groups especially in Africa and Asia. Nor, for that matter, about the more “discreet” forms of restriction on religious freedom that at times are found also in Europe, where legal norms and administrative practices are growing that “limit or in fact annul the rights formally recognized by the Constitution for individual believers and religious groups”.
The Pope also reiterated his rejection of abortion and euthanasia. He called for peace in countries ravaged by war and violence and for the reform of world organizations to make them more effective. He said it was necessary to promote a “diplomacy of hope” and expressed his best wishes for the coming year, marked by the Jubilee.
The speech to the ambassadors is the political speech of the year for the popes. The audience listening to him is a privileged listener who has direct contact with governments around the world.
JRB
TR: GS
