Xenophobia, racism among political vices -pope

(ANSA) - Vatican City, December 18 - Pope Francis named corruption, xenophobia and racism among the political vices he highlighted in his message for the 52nd World Day of Peace on New Year's Day. "Politics also has its share of vices, whether due to personal incompetence or to flaws in the system and its institutions," the Argentine pontiff said in the message entitled 'good politics at the service of peace' and which the Vatican released on Tuesday.
    "Clearly, these vices detract from the credibility of political life overall, as well as the authority, decisions and actions of those engaged in it. "These vices, which undermine the ideal of an authentic democracy, bring disgrace to public life and threaten social harmony. We think of corruption in its varied forms: the misappropriation of public resources, the exploitation of individuals, the denial of rights, the flouting of community rules, dishonest gain, the justification of power by force or the arbitrary appeal to raison d'état and the refusal to relinquish power. "To which we can add xenophobia, racism, lack of concern for the natural environment, the plundering of natural resources for the sake of quick profit and contempt for those forced into exile".