Pope: "Hatred Cannot Harmonize with the Gospel"… Criticizes Populism in His Book

Pope Francis Photo by EPA Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Pope Francis expressed concerns about the spread of populism around the world through his book.

On the 24th (local time), US CBS News reported that Pope Francis, along with his biographer Austin Ivereigh, wrote the book "Let Us Dream: The Path to A Better Future," stating, "Hearing the remarks of some populist leaders today reminds me of the 1930s when several democratic countries collapsed overnight and became dictatorships."

The book contains criticism that "this is happening again at large rallies," and "they deliver long speeches to excite the crowd and divert the crowd's hatred toward imaginary enemies, distracting attention from real issues."

In particular, the Pope pointed out those who vote for populists under religious pretenses as "those who only superficially hold faith." He conveyed through the book that they support populists out of fear rather than genuine religious belief, stating, "Fear and hatred toward others cannot be reconciled with the Gospel."

The cover of the Pope's new book 'Let's Dream; The Path to a Better Future'

The Pope also criticized those opposing lockdowns and movement restrictions implemented by governments worldwide to prevent the spread of COVID-19. He pointed out that they "treat the measures taken by governments for the people's benefit as political attacks against autonomy or personal freedom."

The Pope saw the media as partly responsible for spreading such ideas. He criticized, "Some media try to persuade people that COVID-19 is nothing more than a cold, blame foreigners, and portray protective restrictions as unjust state interference." He added, "There are politicians who spread these stories for personal gain, but without the media that created and disseminated them, these politicians would not have succeeded."

Regarding the Pope's criticism of populist leaders, the Associated Press noted that although no specific country or president was mentioned, the message seems aimed at US President Trump. The book is scheduled to be published on the 1st of next month.