In an interview with the Spanish paper ‘El Pais’ last Sunday, Pope Francis showed his concerns about populist movements that can be compared with the Germany from 1933, led the Nazi government led by Adolf Hitler.
During Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony, Pope Francis gave a wide-ranging interview about his opinion on several subjects. Regarding Trump, he said that he would give him some time to see what actions he takes, for him to have a valid opinion. He asked for an opportunity and to “wait and see.”
Francisco Bergoglio, the Pope, has already condemned Trump in an interview back in November of last year. When the President said during his campaign that he would pull up a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, the pontiff stated his disagreement.
The Pope stated that any person who focus on building walls between countries instead of building bridges between different cultures “is not a Christian.”
The Republican Candidate at the time reacted to the Pope’s declarations by saying that it was “disgraceful” that a religious leader doubted about a person’s faith while calling the Pope a pawn of the Mexican government.
The Pope sent Trump the traditional welcoming telegram for any new President. He asked Trump to care for “the poor, the outcast and less fortunate, in the spirit of Lazarus.”
“At a time when our human family is beset by grave humanitarian crises demanding farsighted and united political responses,” he wrote to Trump. “I pray that your decisions will be guided by the rich spiritual and ethical values that have shaped the history of the American people and your nation’s commitment to the advancement of human dignity and freedom worldwide.”
Pope’s concerns about populism and World War III
During the same interview with ‘El Pais,’ the Pope talked about his concerns regarding the rise of populist movements across Europe and its consequences.
After Trump’s victory in the United States, the rise of an important number of populist movements in several European countries has been warned by some experts and the Pope himself. He said that in times of crisis, people often look for a savior that could make the country regain its strength and national identity.
He explained how the clearest example was Germany in 1933. He said that people choose Hitler for being in a crisis, but then he destroyed the same people that want him, showing how a lack of judgment can be so dangerous for a nation.
He also talked about how the world is at war, and how the World War III is “in little bits.” He said that a group of people in the world are “playing cards” regarding the nuclear situation and that in any given moment a nuclear confrontation could start and terminate the world as we know it.
He also showed his concern about the global economic inequality, as he complained about the fact that a handful of people has the 80 percent of the global wealth, as condemned how money seems like a god to some people.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter