Pope salutes Interpol work against terrorism, organized crime

November 09, 2012

In a November 9 address to representatives of Interpol, Pope Benedict XVI expressed concern about “a widening of the sources of violence provoked by transnational entities which hinder the progress of humanity.”

“The gravest forms of criminal activities can be seen in terrorism and organized crime,” the Pontiff told the Interpol audience. He observed that terrorists have set up “an obscure web of political complicity, with sophisticated technology, enormous financial resources and planning projects on a vast scale.” Organized crime, he added, “proliferates in ordinary places and often acts and strikes in darkness, outside of any rules.” While saluting the work of police forces in general, and citing Interpol in particular as “a bastion of international security,” the Pope said that the fight against crime should not be delegated entirely to police. Political steps should be taken, he said, to address the “underlying motives for such unacceptable criminal acts.”

 

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Further information:

• Pope calls organized crime ‘gravely destabilizing threat’ to society (AP)
• Violence in All Its Forms Is Always Unacceptable (VIS)