Pope Francis discussed some of the biggest issues of 2020 in a new book written during the Vatican’s lockdown.
He also blasted coronavirus skeptics and media organizations that are spreading conspiracies and slammed populist politicians who are reminiscent of some problematic leaders from the 1930s but he did not mention any names.
In ‘Let Us Dream’ book, Pontifex wrote: “Today, listening to some of the populist leaders we now have, I am reminded of the 1930s, when some democracies collapsed into dictatorships seemingly overnight.
“We see it happening again now in rallies where populist leaders excite and harangue crowds, channeling their resentments and hatreds against imagined enemies to distract from the real problems.”
People who support these leaders “vote for populists to protect their religious identity, unconcerned that fear and hatred of the other cannot be reconciled with the Gospel,” he added.
The pope also blamed conservative media and some people for anti-restriction rhetoric and misinformation about the pandemic.
Addressing the killing of George Floyd, he wrote: “Abuse is a gross violation of human dignity that we cannot allow and which we must continue to struggle against.”
The pontifex also warned that demonstrations can be manipulated and used as an attempt to erase history.
“Amputating history can make us lose our memory, which is one of the few remedies we have against repeating the mistakes of the past.”
The pope praised journalists who discussed how the pandemic affects the poorest but he slammed those who “used this crisis to persuade people that foreigners are to blame, that the coronavirus is little more than a little bout of flu, and that restrictions necessary for people’s protection amount to an unjust demand of an interfering state.”
He wrote: “There are politicians who peddle these narratives for their own gain. But they could not succeed without some media creating and spreading them.”
According to the Associated Press, the 150-page book outlines “Francis’ vision of a more economically and environmentally just post-coronavirus world where the poor, the elderly and weak aren’t left on the margins and the wealthy aren’t consumed only with profits.”
The pope believes the pandemic “offers an unprecedented opportunity to imagine and plan for a more socially just world.”
He wrote: “We need to set goals for our business sector that — without denying its importance — look beyond shareholder value to other kinds of values that save us all: community, nature and meaningful work.”
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