Pope Francis Expresses Concerns about Integralist Reactionaries, Fear-Preaching Populists, and Building Walls

Embed from Getty Images
Pope Francis in his latest in-flight press conference:

  • “In every religion there is always an integralist group that does not want to move ahead and lives from bitter memories, past conflicts, and seeks even more war and sows fear. We have seen that it is more beautiful to sow hope…”
  • “The builders of walls with blades that cut, with knives or with bricks, will become prisoners of the walls they make.”
  • “I see that there are many people of good will, not only Catholics, but good people who are taken by the fear that is preached, usually by the populists.” Francis recalled that “fear is the beginning of dictators,” as was seen in the last century with the fall of the Weimar Republic and the rise of Hitler, “and we know the results.”