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The Pope
Can't Cope
The Pontiff Burns Tobacco
On
January 22 the Vatican leapt into Italy's burning drug debate, calling
for tobacco to be banned because smoking is an addictive habit equivalent
to using heroin.
Support
for decriminalization of marijuana has been building in Italy, and many
Italian cities have come out in favour of the idea over the past few years,
including Venice and Turin. There is also open support for marijuana reform
among a strong minority of the Italian Parliament, and their Supreme Court
is in the midst of deciding whether a national referendum should be allowed
on the issue.
The Vatican
statement, issued by the Pontifical Council for the Family with the approval
of the Pope, was clearly issued to sway public opinion in case a referendum
takes place. It claims that drugs cannot be divided into hard and soft
categories, that all are dangerous and addictive, and that legalizing drugs
would be akin to legalizing murder.
Although
we're not much for Bible quoting here at CC, we'd like to mention one of
Jesus' lesser quoted quotes. "It's not what goes into a man's mouth which
defiles him, but rather that which comes out of it."
Bianca Sind
