The challenge of reducing drug cropsOn the peripheries of drugsPope visited drug addicts in secretDuring his audience Pope Francis spoke about the harm caused by drugs on the occasion of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
Quoting St. John Paul II, the Holy Father explained that "drug abuse impoverishes all the communities in which it occurs". However, after this affirmation one cannot forget "that each drug addict brings with him or her a different personal history, which must be listened to, understood, loved and, as far as possible, healed and purified".
In the face of the individual pain caused by the relationship with drugs, Francis said, "we cannot ignore the evil intentions and actions of drug dealers and drug traffickers".
The Pope then advised against the release of the consumption of these substances as a means to obtain "a reduction in drug dependence". For this reason, the Bishop of Rome affirmed that he is "convinced that it is morally right to put an end to the production and trafficking of these dangerous substances".
Drugs, a plague
With harsh words, Francis described those who manage the drug business as "traffickers of death", "moved by the logic of power and money at any price". He pointed to abuse and profit through toxic substances as a "plague that produces violence and sows suffering and death".
In the face of these facts, the Pope called for investment in "prevention, which is done by promoting greater justice, educating young people in the values that build personal and community life, accompanying those in need and giving hope for the future."
The Holy Father also praised the "communities of recovery inspired by the Gospel. These, he said, "are a strong and hopeful witness to the commitment of priests, consecrated and lay people to put into practice the parable of the Good Samaritan". On the other hand, he thanked "the efforts undertaken by various Episcopal Conferences to promote legislation and fair policies for the treatment of drug addicts and prevention to curb this scourge".
Action and prevention
Francis cited some examples of institutions or groups that work in an exceptional way to help drug addicts, such as "the network of the Latin American Pastoral de Acompañamiento y Prevención de Adicciones (PLAPA)" or "the bishops of Southern Africa, who in November 2023 convened a meeting on the theme 'Empowering Drug Addicts' to help drug addicts". young people as agents of peace and hope'".
In conclusion, Pope Francis exclaimed that, "in the face of the tragic situation of toxic dependence of millions of people throughout the world, in the face of the scandal of the illicit production and trafficking of these drugs, we cannot be indifferent". "We are called," the Pontiff insisted, "to act, to pause before situations of fragility and pain, to know how to listen to the cry of loneliness and anguish, to bend down to raise up and bring back to life those who fall into the slavery of drugs."
