Pope Francis deplores anti-democracy threats

By Philip Pullella and Karolina Tagaris

ATHENS (Reuters) – Pope Francis called for a return to “good politics” on Saturday, saying democracy has deteriorated dangerously as grievances lure “mermaid songs” from populist politicians who promise simple but unrealistic solutions.

The Pope arrived in Athens from Cyprus, often seen as the birthplace of democracy, in the second and final leg of a Mediterranean voyage, the main purpose of which was to draw attention to the plight of migrants and refugees.

In his speech at the Presidential Palace, Francis referred to ancient Greek philosophers and writers, such as Aristotle and Homer. He called for a return to a policy that benefits the common good and does not arouse fear.

“We cannot help but notice with concern how today, and not just in Europe, we are seeing a setback in democracy,” Francis said.

Democracy is a complex but essential effort that requires broad participation, “although authoritarianism is essential, and the simple responses of populism seem appealing.”

Francis did not name any country in his speech, but has criticized the policies of several politicians in the past, including former US President Donald Trump and Italian far-right leader Matteo Salvini, especially on the issue of immigration.

Francis said that people are “politicians with an obsessive pursuit of fame, a thirst for visibility, a wave of unrealistic promises …”

The pope added that he hoped that a strengthened democracy everywhere could be “the answer to the siren songs of authoritarianism; and that individualism and indifference can overcome concerns about others, the poor and creation.”

‘HUGE MODERN ODYSSEY’

Greece is one of the main points of entry into the European Union for asylum seekers fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

In a speech at the Presidential Palace, he described the current situation of migrants and refugees, many of whom have died at sea, as a “terrible modern odyssey.”

Young children in traditional Greek dress, an African boy and a girl from the Philippines, greeted Francis as he got off the plane and flew into the city in a simple Fiat 500. Since the Pope began in 2013, the Argentine Pontiff has ruled out large cars or anti-bullet vehicles.

Francis will travel to the island of Lesbos https://www.reuters.com/world/popes-visit-greeces-lesbos-lays-bare-divisions-over-migrants-2021-12-01 for the second time on Sunday. visit the migrant reception center created after the burning of the famous Moria camp last year.

On a previous visit to the island in 2016, he walked through Francis Moria, a camp full of vicious and crowded conditions by rights groups, and asylum seekers fell to their feet, crying and begging for help.

He recalled three Syrian refugees on the plane with the same family returning to Rome. The pope decided to relocate 50 migrants from Cyprus to Italy after a trip this week.

With Cypriot asylum seekers on Friday https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/pope-calls-healing-split-cyprus-orthodox-archbishop-attacks-turkey-2021-12-03 citing conditions somewhere, he said he was responsible for telling the truth about the suffering of refugees, a condition that many compared to those in the Nazis and Soviet camps.