Appeal to diplomacy

Pope: Danger of world war “ever more concrete”

Pope Francis sees an increasingly concrete threat of a world war.

(Bild: APA/AP)

In his traditional address to the Vatican's diplomatic corps, Pope Francis warned of the danger of world war: "Faced with the increasingly concrete threat of world war, the vocation of diplomacy is to promote dialogue with all, even with those interlocutors who are considered 'uncomfortable' or who would not consider themselves legitimized to negotiate".

In his speech, the Pope emphasized that "a diplomacy of hope" is necessary. This was the only way "to break the chains of hatred and revenge that hold us captive and to defuse the mechanisms of human egoism, pride and arrogance that are at the root of every warlike will that destroys," the Pope said in his address, which was read out by one of his staff. The 88-year-old pontiff is currently suffering from a cold.

Call for the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip
The Holy Father once again called for a ceasefire and the release of the Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip. "I ask that the Palestinian people receive all the help they need. I hope that Israelis and Palestinians can rebuild the bridges of dialogue and mutual trust, starting with the youngest, so that future generations in the two states can live side by side in peace and security and so that Jerusalem can be the 'city of encounter' where Christians, Jews and Muslims live together in harmony and respect," Francis emphasized.

The Pope also expressed his concern about anti-Semitism. "The increasing anti-Semitic statements, which I strongly condemn and which are affecting more and more Jewish communities around the world, are a cause for great concern," said the head of the Catholic Church.

"Sadly, we begin this year in which the world is torn apart by numerous conflicts, large and small, more or less well-known, and also by the resurgence of heinous acts of terrorism, such as those that recently took place in Magdeburg in Germany and in New Orleans in the United States," the Pope explained. He added that "we are confronted with increasingly polarized societies in which a general sense of fear and mistrust of others and of the future festers," the Pope said.

 Fake news as a threat to society and the state
According to Francis, this is "exacerbated by the constant creation and spread of fake news, which not only distorts the reality of the facts, but also distorts consciences, awakens false perceptions of reality and creates a climate of mistrust that fuels hatred, undermines people's security and jeopardizes civil coexistence and the stability of entire nations".

Pope Francis then emphasized that "tragic examples of this are the attacks on the head of government of the Slovak Republic and the elected president of the United States of America".