Pope Francis criticised Western powers for trying to export their own brand of democracy to countries such as Iraq and Libya without respecting indigenous political cultures, according to an interview published on Monday.
Speaking to France’s Roman Catholic newspaper, La Croix, Francis also said Europe should better integrate migrants and praised the election of the new Muslim mayor of London as an example of where this had been successful.
“Faced with current Islamist terrorism, we should question the way a model of democracy that was too Western was exported to countries where there was a strong power, as in Iraq, or Libya, where there was a tribal structure,” he said.
“We cannot advance without taking these cultures into account,” the pope said.
As a Libyan said recently, ‘we used to have one Gaddafi, now we have fifty”, Francis said in reference to former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi who was deposed and killed in 2011.
Francis has frequently attacked what he calls “cultural colonialism”, in which Western countries seek to impose their values on developing ones in return for financial aid.
The pope said that “ghettoising” migrants was not only wrong but was also misguided in the fight against terrorism.
He cited the militant attacks in Brussels in March when three suicide bombers killed 32 people, in which “the terrorists were Belgians, children of migrants, but they came from a ghetto”.
By contrast, the pope praised this month’s election of Sadiq Khan as the first Muslim mayor of London [nL5N18306N].
“In London, the new mayor was sworn in in a cathedral and will probably be received by the queen. This shows the importance for Europe to regain its ability to integrate,” Francis said.
Ten days ago, the pope lambasted Europe over what he sees as its inadequate response to the influx of migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle-East and Africa.
Source: Reuters
Michael Shokunbi
The papacy continues to stir the honey nests right from the holy see. He remains infallible though, even with tolerance of most things anti Chritianity as it appears, the not too straight people, you may want to wonder why God dealth with Sodom and Gomorrah, also, why God sent the reluctant Jonah to Nineveh.
Pope Francis exhibited his human side at his ordination when his asked to be prayed fof, for divine guidiance with adequate direction.
Of course, Jesus Christ, our Lord and saviour, being God in human garb, also exhibited human nature
Who would i be, to question the wisdom of our Pope, when the bible actually asked that we pray for sinners, they more than anyone are in need of accommodation medicines in form of divine spiritual therapy
God loves sinner as much as the delivered
This i guess explains papa political favour, presumably
Lord i crave your mercy, always