At an event in northeastern Italy, Pope Francis says that a “crisis of democracy” is having an impact on several nations around the world.
Pope Francis condemned the state of democracy and warned against “populists” during a short visit to Trieste in northeastern Italy.
Speaking at an annual convention of the Roman Catholic Church on social issues on Sunday, Francis noted that many people felt excluded from democracy, with the poor and the weak left to fend for themselves.
“It is clear that democracy is not in good health in today’s world,” he said, denouncing polarization and partisanship.
“Ideologies are seductive. Some people compare them to the Pied Piper of Hamelin. They seduce you but lead you to deny yourself,” he said, referring to a fairy tale in which a rat catcher uses his magical powers to steal a town’s children.
He said the “crisis of democracy” had afflicted several nations, but did not give specific examples.
Ahead of last month’s European Parliament elections, Catholic bishops in several countries also warned of the rise of populism and nationalism, with far-right parties already holding the reins of power in Italy, Hungary and the Netherlands.
The pope’s speech came on the day that France holds a second parliamentary election round, with the far-right National Party (RN) receiving the most votes, a month after populist parties won victories in the elections in European Union.
Francis urged people to “move away from polarizations that impoverish” and attack “self-referential power.”
“Let us not be fooled by easy solutions. Instead, let us be passionate about the common good,” said the pope, highlighting the damage caused by political “corruption and lawlessness.”
The pope, who rules as an absolute monarch in the tiny Vatican State, said it was also important to teach children the importance of democratic values, warning that “indifference is a cancer of democracy”.
“I am concerned about the small number of people who went to vote. Why is this happening? he asked.
Pope Francis concluded his visit to Trieste with a Mass before around 8,500 faithful in the city’s main public square, before returning to the Vatican in the early afternoon.
As is normal, the 87-year-old pontiff moved around the region mainly in a wheelchair and seemed in good shape.
In September, he is expected to fly more than 32,000 kilometers (19,900 miles) on a 12-day trip through Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore – the longest of his 11-year papacy.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
