Pope: Corruption is 'social virus' infecting Latin America

[Judi Lynn]

Christine Armario, Associated Press
Updated 6:38 pm, Friday, January 19, 2018

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Pope Francis strongly condemned corruption in Latin America as a "social virus" infecting all aspects of life in stern remarks Friday to Peru's president and high-ranking political leaders, several of whom are embroiled in the region's biggest graft scandal.

Hours after decrying the destruction of Peru's Amazon, the pontiff warned President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and other leaders gathered that another, more subtle form of environmental degradation is also pervading society: corruption.

"How much evil is done to our Latin American people and the democracies of this content by this social virus," the pope said. "Everything being done to combat this social scourge deserves our utmost attention."

The remarks come less than a month after Kuczynski narrowly avoided impeachment over $782,000 in payments Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht made to his private consulting firm over a decade ago when he served as a minister. Odebrecht has admitted to paying hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to officials throughout Latin America in exchange for lucrative public works contracts.

More:
http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Pope-Corruption-is-social-virus-infecting-12511537.php

[msongs]

1. would that be the same south america that is overwhelmingly run by the catholic church? nt

[MythosMaster]

2. coming from one of the most

corrupt money laundering institutions of faith, yeah... they would know first hand.