The Pope came out this Sunday in defense of women’s rights, referring to the uprisings in Iran, saying that if women are excluded society will be poorer, although he avoided mentioning the Tehran regime.
“A society that excludes women from public life becomes poorer,” said the pontiff, during the return trip from his visit to Bahrain, in the traditional interview with accredited journalists.
According to the transcript made by Vatican News, Francis was asked about the protests in Iran and replied that he regretted that women had to constantly fight for their rights.
Without referring to the regime in Iran, the Pope lamented that women “always have to fight for their rights” and assured that this is a situation that is always in his attention and in his heart.
“We have to tell the truth: the fight for women’s rights is a continuous fight, because in some places women have achieved equality and in others they have not,” Francisco explained.
Speaking of the protection of the fundamental rights of women, the Pope acknowledged that there is still “a long way to go” and criticized the signs of “machismo” that still persist in societies.
“We Argentines are macho. But this machismo kills humanity,” Francisco condemned.
On migration, the Pope asked the European Union (EU) not to leave the Mediterranean countries alone in the face of this crisis.
“We must reach an agreement on immigration policy. The EU must have a policy of collaboration and assistance, and not leave the responsibility of welcoming migrants in the hands of some countries,” the Pope added, referring to Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain.
Specifically, he asked to establish “how many emigrants each country can receive” and recalled that this eventual agreement should not be limited to reception, but include the monitoring, promotion and integration of the people who are welcomed.
Source: TSF
