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Mozambique, Pope Francis: Stop Pillaging Africa. Protection of Land is Protection of Life

“Stop the pillaging and exfoliation. The protection of the land is also the protection of life”. This was the message Pope Francis made explicit on arrival in Mozambique. Reconciliation and taking care of our common home are integral themes the pope addressed in his message to president Nyusi and authorities in Mozambique, his first stop on his visit to Africa.

“Peace,” said Pope Francis, “invites us also to look to the earth, our common home. From this standpoint, Mozambique is a nation greatly blessed, and you have a special responsibility to care for this blessing. The protection of the land is also the protection of life, which demands particular attention whenever we see a tendency towards pillaging and exfoliation driven by a greed generally not cultivated even by the inhabitants of these lands, nor motivated by the common good of your people.”

The pope appealed further for, “a culture of peace implies a productive, sustainable and inclusive development, where all Mozambicans can feel that this land is theirs, where they can establish relations of fraternity and equity with their neighbors and all their surroundings.”

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