By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY, (Reuters) – Pope Francis admitted that he understands the feelings of some, even within the Church, about him for his actions in defense of the most vulnerable and poor, but it will not stop him, as Christianity is a part.

Thinking about these circumstances (of inequality and exclusion), I become a nuisance with my questions. Then I continue asking. “And I continue to ask everybody in the name God,” Francis, Latin America’s first pope, said.

He called for patents from pharmaceutical companies in order to increase access to vaccines for COVID-19 to the underprivileged, noting that less than 3% to 4% of some countries’ population had been vaccinated.

Francis (84) was in video link at the World Meeting of Popular Movements. It is a gathering of grassroots organisations, social movements, and organizations that bring attention to inequalities in work, landownership, and other issues in the developing world.

He urged the mining and lumber industries to “stop destroying forests and wetlands, polluting rivers, seas and poisoning people and food”.

Francis stated that rich countries should pay off the debts of poor nations. The weapons dealers and manufacturers should stop supporting “those terrible geopolitical games that cost millions of lives and millions dead”

According to him, technology companies should not allow hate speech or conspiracy theories. He also called for an universal basic income, as well as for countries to reduce the working day in order for more people to have work.

The system’s relentless logic and profit motive are escaping human control. We need to slow down the locomotive, which is spiraling towards the end of its control. He said, “There is still time.” He said, “And so I continue in my pestering.”

He mentioned criticisms he had received previously, particularly from U.S. conservative church members, as he issued similar appeals.

He said, “It is sad that some members the Church get annoyed when they mention these guidelines that belong the full tradition of The Church,” in reference to a compilation of Catholic social teachings issued by Pope John Paul 2 in 2004.

He said, “But the Pope must not cease mentioning this teaching even if people often annoy it because what’s at stake isn’t the pope, but the Gospel.”