Divert arms money for food, vaccines: Pope at peace meet with Angela Merkel

In his speech during German chancellor Angela Merkel’s farewell visit, Pope Francis on October 7 said that worldwide, flourishing arms trade must be curbed and funding should be ramped up to eliminate hunger and to promote COVID-19 vaccines. Labelling the arms trade a blight of humanity, the pontiff closed a peace meeting of world religions in Rome stressing that the money spent on weapons should be diverted to feed the sick, promote fair distribution, more vaccines should be distributed fairly, and fewer weapons should be marketed indiscriminately. Violence and the bane of a flourishing arms trade, often migrating in the shadows and fed by underground funds, are both relevant today, said Pope, according to the Vatican news. 

Start again, in the 'spirit of Assisi', says Pope 

As he attended the International Meeting for Peace held by St. Egidio Community, with leaders of various religions and confessions at Rome's Colosseum, Pope conveyed to the participants from over 40 countries that they must “start again” in the “spirit of Assisi”, which is one of friendship and dialogue. He cited the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to shun violence. “May it become a new beginning, and not just a moment of degradation which separates us one from another,” he said in a broadcast message. As he wrapped up the Peace meeting at the Colosseum, Pope, ahead of the moment of silence for the victims of all wars, asked God to “demilitarize the human heart.” Prayer is “quiet a source of strength which brings peace and disarms hate-filled hearts,” he told all those gathered. 

Pope Francis said we can become “spectators of violence and war, of brothers killing brothers,” as if it were a game we watch from afar. He recalled that the lives of people and young children “are not playthings”. “We must not be indifferent onlookers,” he said.

“On the contrary, we need to empathize with those who share our humanity, its aspirations, its struggles, and its frailties.” Calling war a failure of politics and humanity, the pontiff stated, war “plays games with human lives” and is a failure of “politics and humanity.”

He then reiterated an appeal launched in the Document on Human Fraternity signed in 2019 with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, who was present at Thursday’s event. He said the urgent task of religions is “in this delicate historical situation: to demilitarize the human heart.

“As believers, it is our responsibility to help eradicate hatred from human hearts and to condemn every form of violence,” he said. “Let us unambiguously urge that arms are set aside and military spending reduced, in order to provide for humanitarian needs, and that instruments of death be turned into instruments of life.”