Pope’s quotes: The rule of the law

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A quote from Pope Francis:

“The immense disparity of opportunities between some countries and others ensures that many people feel compelled to abandon their homeland and their family, thus becoming easy prey for human trafficking and slave labor, without rights or access to justice. In some cases, the lack of cooperation between States leaves many people unprotected by the law and unable to guarantee their own rights, and thus obliged to ally themselves with those who take advantage of others, or to resign themselves to being victims of abuse.

These are situations in which it is not enough to safeguard the law to defend the basic rights of the person, and in which the rules, without pity and mercy, do not respond to justice. Within every country, at times, scandalous and offensive differences are created, especially between indigent peoples, in rural areas or in the peripheries of large cities. If it fails to genuinely defend these people against racism, xenophobia and intolerance, the rule of law loses its very legitimacy.”

-- Message to president of Panama in occasion of Seventh Summit of the Americas

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