Pope León XIV urges Church to be family for addiction victims

Pope León XIV told an international Vatican gathering on addiction in Latin America that "there is no better prevention against drugs than a good family," and called on the Church to act as a family for those "left by the wayside" Source: elcaribedr. Speaking in Spanish, he described addiction as "a complex phenomenon that reveals the failure of a dehumanized world," demanding "integral responses: community prevention, scientific care, justice with a human face, and close pastoral accompaniment" Source: infobae.

The context

The meeting was promoted by the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM), the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, and the Organization of American States (OAS) Source: elcaribedr. The pope, who holds US and Peruvian nationality, praised four collaborative paths: between the Church and international bodies, between science and faith, the pilgrim Church, and ecumenism Source: infobae.

The family focus

He lamented "the pain of many broken families, whether due to drug use, violence, the criminal recruitment of a child, poverty, or lack of opportunities that push people to the roadside" Source: elcaribedr. Cardinal Robert Prevost emphasized that the family "is the place where life is cultivated, cared for, and projected" Source: infobae.

The call

The pope urged the Church to be "the family of all people who were left by the wayside," invoking the Good Samaritan: "let us not pass by; let us build a Church that stops, draws near, is moved, anoints wounds, feeds, and becomes a home" Source: elcaribedr. Both sources report the same content, with no disagreements.