Pope Francis has taken aim at protests against coronavirus restrictions, contrasting them with the “healthy indignation†seen in demonstrations against racism after the death of George Floyd.
“Some groups protested, refusing to keep their distance, marching against travel restrictions – as if measures that governments must impose for the good of their people constitute some kind of political assault on autonomy or personal freedom,†he said in a new book.
He railed against those who claim “that being forced to wear a mask is an unwarranted imposition by the stateâ€.
“You’ll never find such people protesting the death of George Floyd, or joining a demonstration because there are shantytowns where children lack water or education, or because there are whole families who have lost their income,†he said. “On such matters they would never protest; they are incapable of moving outside of their own little world of interests.â€
The book, Let Us Dream: A Path to a Better Future, is derived from conversations with his British biographer Austen Ivereigh, and is largely centred on his response to the coronavirus crisis.
“With some exceptions, governments have made great efforts to put the wellbeing of their people first, acting decisively to protect health and to save lives,†the pope said.
However, he added that some had put the economy before public health. “Those governments have mortgaged their people,†he said.
The death in police custody of Floyd a 44-year-old African American man, triggered a wave of anti-racism protests in the US and around the world.
The pope again condemned the “horrendous†death and hailed how “many people who otherwise did not know each other took to the streets to protest, united by a healthy indignation.â€
However, he cautioned against pulling down historical statues, a byproduct of some of the protests, describing it as “amputating historyâ€.
“A free people is a people that remembers, is able to own its history rather than deny it, and learns its best lessons,†he said.
