Pope: Church must take clearer stand

- Pope Francis, the Roman Catholic Church called on Mexico to take clearer stance against the drug cartels in the country. In a speech to the Mexican bishops, he said Saturday that drug trafficking constitutes a not inconsiderable challenge to ethics and civilization.

The extent of the drug problem requires the Catholic leaders more than just general convictions, said the Pope. Necessary a prophetic courage and social commitment of the Church. The Pope also called on the clergy to respect the original inhabitants of the country.

Mexico has been raging for years a bloody war between the state and the powerful drug cartels, in which both sides committed atrocities. The violence has claimed an estimated one hundred thousand lives in the past decade.