Pope Leo XIV has highlighted the importance of the family in preventing drug addiction in young people, saying that there is "no better defense against drugs than a good family."
The pontiff made these remarks during a private audience on Aug. 27 with participants in a conference on drug abuse, promoted by the Pontifical Commission for Latin America (CAL). According to Vatican News, the conference is being held from Aug. 25–27 and focuses on preventing drug addiction and the criminal recruitment of young people in Central and South America.
Leo will make his first apostolic journey to South America from Nov. 6–17, visiting 10 cities across Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. He previously served as a missionary and bishop in Peru.
Families can help those suffering from drug addiction
In his address, Leo discussed the challenge of drug addiction in young people and its consequences for the family.
"Today, we bear witness to the pain of many broken families, whether due to drug use, violence, the criminal recruitment of a child, poverty, or the lack of opportunities that push people to the margins of society," Leo explained.
To solve this, the pope said, would require reemphasizing the family as the "domestic church."
"St. John Paul II asked us to make the Church 'the home and school of communion.'"
"The family, which the Second Vatican Council rightly called the 'domestic church,' is the place where life is nurtured, cared for, and planned. There is no better defense against drugs than a good family," Leo said.
Inspiration by Pope Francis
According to Vatican News, the conference drew inspiration from the actions of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who would later become Pope Francis. As the former archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, he supported the project "Familia Grande del Hogar de Cristo," a network of community centers that supports people battling drug addiction and social vulnerability.
Shortly after being elected pope in 2013, Francis traveled to Brazil for that year's World Youth Day. During a visit to a hospital in Rio de Janeiro, he sharply criticized drug traffickers as "dealers of death."
"How many 'dealers of death' there are that follow the logic of power and money at any cost," Francis lamented in his address. He would echo those sentiments again in a general audience in June 2024, calling drug traffickers "murderers."
Leo cited Francis in his address, reminding those present that Jesus wants the Church "to touch human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others."
