“Let us remember … that every drug addict brings with him a different personal story, which must be listened to, understood, loved and, as far as possible, healed and purified. … They continue to have, more than ever, a dignity, as people who are children of God. Everyone has dignity,” Francis said.
The U.N. established the World Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in 1987. The theme for this year is “The Evidence Is Clear: Invest in Prevention.”
Quoting St. John Paul II’s 1987 speech against drug trafficking, Francis said: “‘Drug abuse impoverishes every community in which it is present. It diminishes human strength and moral fiber. It undermines estimated values. It destroys the desire to live and contribute to a better society.’”
After his strong words about how drug traffickers “sow violence and death,” Pope Francis offered a prayer for their conversion.
“Let us pray for these criminals who give drugs to young people. They are criminals, they are murderers. We pray for their conversion,” Francis said.
Courtney Mares is a Rome Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. A graduate of Harvard University, she has reported from news bureaus on three continents and was awarded the Gardner Fellowship for her work with North Korean refugees. She is the author of “Blessed Carlo Acutis: A Saint in Sneakers” (Ignatius, 2023), https://ignatius.com/carlo-acutis-sscap/.
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