“It is a moral duty to end the production and trafficking of [drugs], these dangerous substances," and this requires an "act of courage" from society, Pope Francis said during the general audience in St. Peter’s Square on June 26, 2024, in light of the United Nations' International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
"Faced with the tragic situation of drug addiction of millions of people around the world, faced with the scandal of the illicit production and trafficking of such drugs, we cannot be indifferent. The Lord Jesus paused, drew near, healed wounds," the Pope said.
After listening to the passage from the First Epistle to the Corinthians (6, 12-14), which says that the body “is not for immorality, but for the Lord,” Francis reflected on three main issues that come from the “scourge” of drug addiction that “trample[s] on human dignity": the actions of drug traffickers, the “fantasy” of liberalizing drug use, and the impact on the environment.
Three key issues
Pope Francis sternly condemned drug dealers and traffickers saying that “we cannot ignore the evil intentions and actions” and called them "traffickers of death [...], driven by the logic of power and money at any cost.” However, he also called to “pray, too, for these criminals who spend and give drugs to the young: they are criminals, they are murderers. Let us pray for their conversion.”
The Pope then underlined how “a reduction in drug addiction is not achieved by liberalizing drug use – this is a fantasy! – as has been proposed by some, or has already implemented, in some countries." He continued: "This scourge, which produces violence and sows suffering and death, demands an act of courage from our society as a whole."
Lastly, the Pope also took note of the fact that “drug production and trafficking also have a destructive impact on our common home,” citing the effects in the Amazon basin, which has seen an increase in deforestation for drug production, as an example.
The importance of assistance and prevention
Touching on this year's theme for this international day, “the evidence is clear: invest in prevention,” Pope Francis highlighted that prevention can be enacted by “promoting greater justice, educating young people in values that build personal and community life, accompanying those in need, and giving hope for the future.”
He underlined the different communities he has visited across the world through his trips as a "strong and hopeful witness to the commitment of priests, consecrated men and women, and lay people to put into practice the parable of the Good Samaritan.” He also emphasized the work of local episcopal conferences in fighting this issue, citing specifically the bishops of southern Africa, who held a meeting on this theme in November 2023. He also praised the work of the PLAPA network, "Pastoral Latinoamericana de Acompañamiento y Prevençión de Adicciones" (Latin American Pastoral Care for the Accompaniment and Prevention of Addictions).
“We too are called to act, to pause before situations of fragility and pain, to know how to listen to the cry of loneliness and anguish, to stoop to lift up and bring back to life those who fall into the slavery of drugs” he concluded, while asking the faithful to “pray for this intention.”
