Pope Francis prays for the conversion of drug traffickers

Before the faithful who listened to him from St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis asserted that drug traffickers are “traffickers of death,” a “plague” that sows suffering and death and that requires “an act of courage on the part of all.” the society”

The Holy Father focused his catechism at the General Audience this Wednesday on the dangers of drug consumption and trafficking, because this June 26 marks the celebration of International Day to Combat Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

This day, established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1987, is celebrated this year with the title “The evidence is clear: we must invest in prevention”.

The words of Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI

At the beginning of his catechesis, Pope Francis recalled the words of Saint John Paul II, who stated that “drug abuse impoverishes all the communities in which it occurs. It decreases human strength and moral fiber. Mine the estimated values. “It destroys the will to live and contribute to a better society.”

However, the Holy Father recalled that every addict has a dignity as a child of God, although he stressed that “we cannot ignore the bad intentions and actions of drug sellers and drug traffickers,” whom he referred to as “murderers.” ”.

Likewise, he recalled that Pope Benedict XVI said the following: “I tell those who deal in drugs to think about the evil they are causing to a multitude of young people and adults of all social classes: God will ask them to account for what they have done.” have made. Human dignity cannot be trampled on in this way.” In this sense, Pope Francis remarked that “drugs trample on human dignity.”

Furthermore, he pointed out that a reduction in drug dependence is not achieved by liberalizing drug consumption, “this is a fantasy, as has been proposed, or has already been applied, in some countries. If it is released, more is consumed,” he stressed.

“Death traffickers”

“How many traffickers of death are there, because drug traffickers are traffickers of death, driven by the logic of power and money at any price! This plague, which produces violence and sows suffering and death, demands an act of bravery on the part of the entire society,” she later asserted.

Faced with this, the Pontiff indicated that to counteract drug abuse and trafficking, prevention is necessary, “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.”

In this sense, he noted that he is comforted by “the efforts undertaken by several Episcopal Conferences to promote fair legislation and policies regarding the treatment of drug addicts and prevention to stop this scourge.”

He also cited the network of The Latin American Pastoral Care and Prevention of Addictions (PLAPA) and the bishops of Southern Africa, who in November 2023 convened a meeting on the topic “Train young people as agents of peace and hope”.

He also stated that “in the face of the tragic situation of toxic dependence of millions of people around the world, in the face of the scandal of the illicit production and trafficking of these drugs, we cannot be indifferent.”

“The Lord Jesus has stopped, he has approached, he has healed the wounds. In the style of his proximity, we too are called to act, to stop in situations of fragility and pain, to know how to listen to the cry of loneliness and anguish, to bend down to lift up and bring back to life those who they fall into drug slavery,” he commented.

Finally, Pope Francis invited the faithful to pray “for these criminals, who give drugs to young people. They are criminals, they are murderers. Let us pray for his conversion,” he concluded.