Pope Francis pointed out that the West should not “export” its own “type of democracy” to other countries and mentioned the interventions in Libya and Iraq as examples of this, according to a recently published interview.
The Pontiff’s words were published in the Italian newspaper La Stampa and were taken from a book released this week by journalists Francesca Ambrogetti and Sergio Rubin titled No sei solo: Sfide, risposte, speranze ( You are not alone: Challenges, answers, hopes ).
In an excerpt from the book, the authors asked the Holy Father about “the responsibilities of the most developed countries” in relation to the “chaos” that other nations are experiencing.
Pope Francis responded that this chaos was due in part to the “failure of the West in its attempt to import its own kind of democracy” in some countries.
“Let’s think about Libya, which seems to be able to be led only by very strong personalities like (Muammar al) Gaddafi,” he said. “A Libyan told me that before they only had one Gaddafi, while now they have fifty-three.”
The Holy Father also referred to the Iraq War, which he described as “a true disgrace” and “one of the worst cruelties.” U.S.-led forces defeated the Iraqi army and President Saddam Hussein, leaving a country plagued by worsening sectarian violence.
“Saddam Hussein was certainly not a little angel, on the contrary,” Francis said, “but Iraq was a fairly stable country.”
He immediately warned that he was not “defending Gaddafi or Hussein.” However, he noted that those conflicts were followed by “organized anarchy and more wars.”
“That is why I believe that we should not export our democracy to other countries, but rather help them develop a process of democratic maturation according to their characteristics,” the Pope said. “Do not start a war to import a democracy that its people cannot assimilate.”
Some countries, such as those led by monarchies, he continued, “will probably never accept democracy,” but nations can “contribute to greater participation.”
Although he confessed to being “ignorant regarding international politics,” the Holy Father noted that the rise of the Islamic State terrorist group (ISIS) indicates “an unfortunate Western choice.”