Pope Leo: Gambling ruins families

The “demographic crisis”, the “struggles” of families and young people, social isolation among the elderly, the “silent cry” of the poor, environmental pollution, and “social conflicts” are among the biggest problems faced by towns and cities across Italy, Pope Leo said on Monday.

The Pope was speaking during a meeting with mayors from the Assocazione Nazionale dei Comuni Italiani (‘National Association of Italian Local Authorities’) in the Vatican on the 29th December.

Tackling these problems, the Pope said, requires first of all listening to the voices of the weak and the poor. Otherwise, he stressed, “democracy atrophies, becomes just a name, a formality.”