Pope Francis has written the traditional papal letter to leaders of the G20 ahead of the group’s summit convening this weekend in Brisbane, Australia.
The candid, wide-ranging letter addressed to the host of the summit - Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott - touches on crucial issues ranging from hunger and unemployment to climate change and terrorism.
On the current state of military crises, and specifically the conflict against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, Pope Francies said the entire world is waiting for a coordinated agreement through the United Nations for a “definitive halt to the unjust aggression directed at different religious and ethnic groups, including minorities, in the Middle East.”
He then adds: “It has become more and more evident that the solution to this grave problem cannot be a purely military one, but must also focus on those who in one way or another encourage terrorist groups through political support, the illegal oil trade or the provision of arms and technology. There is also a need for education and a heightened awareness that religion may not be exploited as a means of justifying violence.”
He also appeals for G20 leaders to be mindful of other forms of aggression that harm large numbers of people that are not related to military conflicts.
“The international community, and in particular the G20 Member States, should also give thought to the need to protect citizens of all countries from forms of aggression that are less evident but equally real and serious,” Pope Francis said. “I am referring specifically to abuses in the financial system such as those transactions that led to the 2008 crisis, and more generally, to speculation lacking political or juridical constraints and the mentality that maximization of profits is the final criterion of all economic activity. A mindset in which individuals are ultimately discarded will never achieve peace or justice.”
Comments