Corruption is ‘social virus’ infecting Latin America, says Pope Francis

"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.''

By: AP | Lima | Published: January 20, 2018 7:22 am

Corruption is 'social virus' infecting Latin America, says Pope Francis

Pope Francis listens to the speech by Peru’s President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski at the government palace in Lima, Peru, Friday (AP photo)

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.”