Pope says politicians who persecute gays, gypsies, Jews today remind him of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis
In a comparison that will leave many startled, Pope Francis has said that politicians who target homosexuals, gypsies and Jews remind him of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. Speaking to participants at an international conference on criminal law at Vatican City last Friday, November 15, the Pope said it is not coincidental that at times, there is a resurgence of symbols typical of Nazism, agencies reported.
Departing from his prepared address, the Pope said when he hears some speeches made by those responsible for order or for a government, it reminds him of the speeches made by Hitler in the mid 1930s.
"With the persecution of Jews, gypsies, and people with homosexual tendencies, today these actions are typical (and) represent 'par excellence' a culture of waste and hate. That is what was done in those days and today it is happening again."
Hitler’s machinery had run a massive hatred campaign against the Jews, killing six million of them. Besides, several homesexuals and gypsies were also sent to extermination camps.
For Pope, 'ecocide' is a sin
Pope Francis also slammed racial police atrocity besides arbitrary use of preventive detention and failure of law to punish corporate crimes against the environment. He called it an “ecocide” and defined it as a sin.
The Pope did not name any particular country or politician during his criticism but recent happenings make it evident that the religious leader is not happy with a lot of them. Recent occurrences in countries like Brazil, Brunei and even the US are reasons enough to make the Pope unhappy.
Reacting to the Pope’s words, Christopher Pett, president of DignityUSA -- an LGBTQ Catholic advocacy organization -- welcomed them as “timely and relevant”, NBC News reported. He said the Roman Catholic Church has a role to play in curbing dangerous anti-gay political trends in Latin America, Caribbeans, Africa and Asia.