Pope Francis on Wednesday denounced drug traffickers as “murderers” and labeled drug liberalization laws a “fantasy” as he marked the U.N.’s day against drug use and illicit trafficking
Francis devoted his entire weekly catechism lesson to a reflection on drug abuse. He called for increased prevention efforts and care for addicts, saying they are children of God who deserve to have their human dignity respected.
Francis spent years ministering to people in the slums of Buenos Aires where “paco,” a cheap drug made from cocaine residue, ravaged the community. The Argentine Jesuit has long made visiting recovering addicts a priority during his foreign visits.
He deviated from his regular reflection on a Biblical theme Wednesday to single out countries and programs that he said were doing a good job getting the word out to young people about the dangers of drug use and the “scandal” of trafficking.
“A reduction in drug addiction is not achieved by liberalizing drug use, as has been proposed, or already implemented, in some countries,” he said. “This is a fantasy. You liberalize, they just consume more.”
“I am convinced that it is a moral duty to end the production and trafficking of these dangerous substances,” he said.
