Pope’s drug remark incites anger

The Vatican sought to defuse a diplomatic tiff with Mexico yesterday after Pope Francis referred to the possible “Mexicanization” of his native Argentina from drug trafficking, the latest instance of Francis’ speaking style getting him into trouble.

The Vatican said it had sent an official diplomatic note to Mexico’s ambassador insisting that Francis “absolutely did not intend to offend the Mexican people”, or to detract from the government’s anti-drug efforts.

Francis made the reference in an email over the weekend to an Argentine friend and lawmaker, Gustavo Vera, who is involved in combating the drug trade. He published the pope’s email on the website of his Alameda Foundation.

The Mexican government formally complained about the remark during a meeting with the Holy See’s ambassador to Mexico and in a note of protest, saying the government was committed to battling drug cartels and that there was no benefit to “stigmatising Mexico.”

“The pope intended only to emphasise the seriousness of the phenomenon of the drug trafficking that afflicts Mexico and other countries in Latin America,” said the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi. “It is precisely this importance that has made the fight against drug trafficking a priority for the government.”