Shafaqna English- Speaking at a meeting dedicated to peace in Bamenda, Cameroon, Pope Leo XIV warned against people who manipulate religion for their own military, economic and political gain.
Pope highlighted how the crisis affecting Cameroon (an ongoing armed conflict between Separatists and the government) has brought the Christian and Muslim communities closer together. “Indeed, your religious leaders have come together to establish a Movement for Peace, through which they seek to mediate between the opposing sides,” he pointed out.
Pope Leo shared his hope and desire that this could be possible in other places around the world. At the same time, he warned against people who “manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”
The “masters of war” pretend not to acknowledge that “it only takes a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild.” The Pope lamented how those in power turn a blind eye to the billions of dollars spent on killing and devastation, “yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found.”
The Holy Father called for “a decisive change of course – a true conversion – that will lead us in the opposite direction, onto a sustainable path rich in human fraternity.” The world is “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters holds it together.”
Source: Vatican News