The Pope: the far right is on the rise, but it is not an expression of Christianity
“We must return to the values of the Gospel, which are not based on hatred and division, but on understanding, compassion and support,” said the Pope at a press conference on the flight back from Metz to Rome
The rise of the far right in Germany and other countries, experts’ concerns about artificial intelligence, and a warning against increased spending on armaments. These are some of the topics addressed by Pope Leo XIV at the press conference on the flight from Metz to Rome, at the end of his busy trip to France.
The Pope has branded the new far-right groups as “non-Christian”, such as the AfD in Germany. “The rise of far-right groups” in Germany and elsewhere in Europe and the world is seeing “the emergence of movements that combine such political stances with a certain form of religiosity; a religiosity which, in the judgement not only of myself but also of the leaders of the Catholic and Protestant Churches in Germany, does not represent an authentic expression of Christianity. We must return to the values of the Gospel”.
He also discusses artificial intelligence and takes the concerns of experts seriously, unlike the US President, Donald Trump, who a few days ago dismissed them as ‘fake news’. “I believe that the concerns raised by many experts and AI specialists must be taken seriously. I do not believe this is ‘fake news’, as some have claimed in an attempt to gain financial or other advantages.”
He also returns to the issue of rearmament following the appeal he had made to Europe from Metz. “We continue to arm ourselves and spend vast sums on that enormous military industry: an industry from which a select few reap huge profits by promoting war. Yet those billions of euros or dollars could be used to tackle problems such as world hunger, the housing crisis and unemployment.” “We need a voice that proposes a different path: one that rejects the idea of spending ever more on armaments.”
On the subject of abuses, he does not generally speak of a ‘systemic’ phenomenon, as the seven victims he met in Lourdes had stated yesterday. However, “when it occurs within the Church, it takes on an additional dimension, since people’s lives of faith – as Leo XIV points out – are deeply wounded and sometimes even destroyed”.
