Pope says democracy could disappear if not built on ethics, values

Published: 2004-04-26

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Democracy is in danger of deteriorating and disappearing if its foundations are not built on ethics and Christian values, said Pope John Paul II. Politicians today must "cultivate those human and Christian values which make up Europe's rich, ideal heritage," he said. This heritage "gave life to a civilization which over the centuries fostered the rise of an authentically democratic society," the pope said April 26 in an address to a national association of Italian city mayors. "Without ethical foundations, democracy risks deteriorating over time and even disappearing," he said.

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