Bishops of the Philippines call drugs "a new form of colonization"

(Vatican Radio) Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has issued a pastoral letter on drug abuse.

"When Pope Francis visited us in January … he asked us not to allow ourselves to be victims of new forms of colonization,” the message reads, “certainly, one of the most pernicious forms of ‘colonization’ has to do with the traffic in drugs and their use.”

The letter says the Church, “in the spiritual and physical sense” must be a haven for the youth “where their restlessness can be quelled and their curiosity assuaged through productive interaction with their peers.”

The message also strong words for drug dealers: “Drugs feed the evil in a person and present an alternate reality that further isolates him or her from life. Those of who manufacture and peddle drugs destroy persons and communities, in a much worst way than natural calamities.”

The full message can be found here.