12/20/2019, 15.20
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Pope and UN secretary general: we must not look the other way in the face of injustice (Video)

Video message at the end of today's interview at the Vatican.  The no to hunger, to abuse, to exploitation.  "The use of religion to incite hatred, violence," cries revenge in the presence of God, "but the arms race and nuclear rearmament also cries to God for revenge.  The use and also the possession of nuclear weapons is immoral".

 

 

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "We cannot, we must not look the other way  in the face of injustice", violence, hunger.  Pope Francis and the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, affirm this in a video message released after the meeting held today at the Vatican.

"We cannot, we must not - the video message states - look the other way in the face of injustice, inequality, the scandal of world hunger, poverty, children who die because they have no water, food or the necessary care.  We cannot look the other way in the face of in the face of any kind of abuse against children.  We must all fight this scourge together.

"We cannot close our eyes to the many of our brothers who, due to conflicts and violence, poverty or climate change, leave their countries and often face a sad fate.  We must not remain indifferent to the human dignity trampled on and exploited, to the attacks against human life, both that which is not yet born and that of every person in need of care ".

"We cannot, we must not turn away when the believers of various faiths are persecuted in different parts of the world.  The use of religion to incite hatred, violence, oppression, extremism and blind fanaticism, as well as forcing people into exile and marginalization, shouts revenge in the presence of God ".

"But the arms race and nuclear rearmament also cries out for God's vengeance.  And it is immoral not only the use but also the possession of nuclear weapons, which have such a destructive scope, that even the sole danger of an accident represents a dark threat to humanity.  We do not remain indifferent to the numerous wars that continue to be fought and that see so many innocent people succumb.  Confidence in dialogue between people and between nations, in multilateralism, in the role of international organizations, in diplomacy as a tool for understanding and understanding, is indispensable for building a peaceful world ”.

"Let us recognize ourselves as members of a single humanity, and let us take care of our land which, generation after generation, has been entrusted to us by God in custody because we cultivate it and leave it to our children as a legacy.  The commitment to reduce polluting emissions and for an integral ecology is urgent and necessary: ​​let's do something before it's too late!  We listen to the voice of many young people who help us to become aware of what is happening today in the world and ask us to be sowers of peace and builders, together and not alone, of a more human and more just civilization.  Christmas, in its genuine simplicity, reminds us that what really counts in life is love ”.

With regard to the meeting, a Vatican statement says that in the conversation between Francis and Guterres “focused on the process of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, and on the crisis of multilateralism, made particularly evident by the difficulties of managing certain current problems such as migration and human trafficking, climate change and disarmament. Attention then turned also to several situations of conflict, social instability and grave humanitarian emergencies.”.

"The meeting - we read in the statement - according to the tradition of audiences granted by the Pontiffs to the various Secretaries General of the United Nations over time, took place in proximity to the anniversary of the founding of the aforementioned Organization, on this occasion the 75th".

 

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