NAIROBI NOVEMBER 27, 2015(CISA) – Pope Francis has challenged Kenyans to shun corruption.
“Each time when we accept a bribe and we put it in our pockets, we destroy our hearts. We destroy our personalities, and we destroy our country. Please, don’t develop that taste for that sugar which is called corruption,” said Pope Francis.
The Pope, while addressing the youth at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, said that corruption is a cancer that is in all areas of life and needs an immediate cure.
He noted that corruption is not just in politics, “it is in all areas of life, also in the Vatican there are cases of corruption.”
“I ask myself, can we justify corruption? Just for the mere fact that everyone is corrupt? How can we be Christians and overcome this evil of corruption,” he said.
“Corruption is something that eats inside, like sugar. Sweet, we like it, it’s easy. And then we end up in a bad way. So much sugar that we end up being diabetic or our country ends up being diabetic,” he added.
He further urged Kenyans to make efforts to tackle corruption through self initiatives.
“As in everything you have to make a start. If you don’t want corruption in lives, hearts and country, start now, yourselves. Because if you don’t start than the person that’s beside you won’t start,” he said.
The Holy Father decried that the effects of corruption “takes away our joy, our peace” noting that “Corrupt people don’t live in peace.”
“What you rob through corruption will stay here. But also, what will remain is that the hearts of many men and women are wounded by these examples of corruption. What will remain behind was all the lack of good that could have been done. It will remain in the children who suffer,” said the pontiff.
