Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens sent a message on the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
As he stressed, “these international days like this one fills us with sorrow and anger. But it is necessary to commemorate them, not to ignore them. Today is one of these days reminding us of the lack of love that our industrialized societies have been suffering for centuries. Societies that shaken the humanitarian value just to replace and prioritize the material needs. Societies that ignored the importance of the institution of family and its progress and are only interested in the profit level indicators.”
The Archbishop emphasized that “we cannot bypass the loneliness, alienation and disintegration of the values of our time, we have the duty to embrace those who suffer in our homeland with the healing care of love and compassion. Let us not leave anyone alone in this struggle for life and creation, let us send them the message that life is beautiful.”
“So today we send the message of Christian hope to those who bravely have taken the path of rehabilitation, and to their families. We remind them that trust in the Risen Christ has the power to cast away the darkness, even the deep darkness of Hades,” he concluded.