Pope appeals to Latin America not to legalize drug

The pontiff on his third day in Brazil has appealed to Latinos not to adopt plans geared at legalizing the use of illegal drugs. Pope Francis has said that during the inauguration of a clinic for drug addicts in Rio de Janeiro.

“The roots of drug abuse should be tackled”, he said.

The popes’ appeal comes ahead of Uruguay’s adoption of the legal sale of marijuana, with other countries thinking similar liberalization.

Earlier the pontiff sung the first Mass of his trip Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, where he warned tens of thousands of faithful against the ephemeral idols of money, power and pleasure. 12,000 people were estimated to have been in attendance in the basilica while close to 200,000 were outside watching the service on big screens, our correspondent adds.

After his Mass, the Pope appeared on a balcony to greet the crowds.

After the Mass, in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, the pope was flown back to Rio de Janeiro where he officiated the inauguration of a drug rehabilitation clinic at the Sao Francisco hospital. He greeted and hugged former addicts and heard their stories.

The holy sea head of state said "It is necessary to tackle the problems which are at the root of drug abuse, promoting more justice, educating the youth with the values that live in society, standing by those who face hardship and giving them hope for the future”.

It is at this juncture that the pope warned against plans to legalise drugs in Latin America and condemned drug-traffickers in strongest terms referring to them as dealers of death.

"How many dealers of death there are that follow the logic of power and money at any cost! The scourge of drug-trafficking, which favours violence and sows the seeds of suffering and death, requires of society as a whole an act of courage," the vicarius filli die said.

In recent times, leaders in Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador and others have spoken for softer stances on drugs policy. In Uruguay, a project decriminalizing marijuana sale is in the last stages of being voted in Congress next week.

Meanwhile the pontiff's visit is taking place under very tight security, after weeks of anti-government protests. Also a homemade explosive device was discovered at the of Our Lady of Aparecida shrine on Sunday. Authorities said it was "of low power" and not near the area where the Pope and pilgrims will visit.

The Vatican later down played the discovery saying that it was no cause for concern.