Food, environmental and pandemic crises affect much of the world’s population, the Catholic Church leader said at a conference in Awali on Friday. At the same time, “a few powerful focused on a determined struggle for particular interests, unearthing outdated idioms and redefining zones of influence and opposing blocs.” The Pope did not name states or individual rulers.
Francis seemed to be referring to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. But he didn’t go into detail. The 85-year-old Argentinian spoke in principle of a “childish scenario”. Humanity is “playing with fire, with missiles and bombs, with weapons that cause tears and death”. Its aim is to enforce “their own despotic, imperialist, nationalist and populist models and visions”. King Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain called for an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine and for serious negotiations.
In his speech, the Pope called on representatives of different religions to “lead by example”. “Our job is to encourage and help humanity, who are as interdependent as they are separated, to walk together.” The interfaith forum in Bahrain was the main focus of Francis’ 39th foreign trip. Islam is the state religion in the Gulf state. There has never been a Pope.
(SDA)