Pope Francis: audience, “partisan interests” even in vaccines, to “sell them to others”

“The crisis we are living due to the pandemic is affecting everyone; we will emerge from it for the better if we all seek the common good together; the contrary is we will emerge for the worse”. This is according to Pope Francis, who in his general audience catechesis today, delivered in the presence of the faithful in the San Damaso courtyard, raised the alarm on the health crisis we are experiencing: “Unfortunately, we see partisan interests emerging. For example, some would like to appropriate possible solutions for themselves, as in the case of vaccines, to then sell them to others. Some are taking advantage of the situation to instigate divisions: by seeking economic or political advantages, generating or exacerbating conflicts. Others simply are not interesting themselves in the suffering of others, they pass by and go their own way”. “They are the devotees of Pontius Pilate, washing their hands of others’ suffering”, he added off the cuff. “The Christian response to the pandemic and to the consequent socio-economic crisis is based on love, above all, love of God who always precedes us”, Pope Francis highlighted: “He loves us first, He always precedes us in love and in solutions. He loves us unconditionally, and when we welcome this divine love, then we can respond similarly. I love not only those who love me – my family, my friends, my group – but I also love those who do not love me, I also love those who do not know me or who are strangers, and even those who make me suffer or whom I consider enemies”. “This is Christian wisdom, this is what Jesus taught us”, he continued off the cuff: “The highest point of holiness is to love one’s enemies, which is not easy”.
Valentina Bombelli