– ‘Cancer’ of despair –
In his speeches and sermons, Francis repeatedly returned to the theme of the high human cost of rampant economic development that allows the poor and vulnerable to fall by the wayside.
In a stark message to wealthier Asian nations, he spoke of a “cancer” of despair in materially obsessed, outwardly affluent societies and urged South Korean Catholics to reject “inhumane economic models.”
The message resonated in a country still mourning the death of 300 people — mostly schoolchildren — in a ferry disaster in April that was blamed on a corrupt culture of regulatory negligence that placed profit over safety.
And on Sunday, he reached out to China, urging a closer dialogue and insisting that Catholics did not view Asia with the mentality of “conquerors.”
“I honestly hope that those countries of your continent with whom the Holy See does not enjoy a full relationship may not hesitate to further a dialogue for the benefit of all,” he told a meeting of Asian bishops.
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