A televised interview marking Pope Francis' election to papacy two years ago shed light on society's role in stopping rampant violence in Mexico.
"Mexico passed moments of religious prosecution, where it gave birth to martyrs," Francis said in speaking with "Televisa" journalist Valentina Alazraki. "I think the devil punishes Mexico with great fury. That's why. I believe the devil doesn't pardon Mexico." The Pope went on to say the country's problems can't be ignored nor blamed on a single group or person.
Francis addressed hot topics ranging from immigration to how long he expects his papacy to last. It was when Alazraki pressed the Pope for words of encouragement - in relation to last year's mass kidnapping of 43 male students in Iguala - that Francis said the devil was angry with Mexico, and that everyone had to put effort into ridding the country of violence.
"You will find Mexican Catholics, non-Catholics, atheists, but they are all Guadalupanos. That is, everyone feels like [the Virgin Mary's] children. Children that brought the Savior, who destroyed the devil," Francis said.
Hundreds of thousands of people have died from drug gang-related related violence over the last eight years. Mexico is the United States' main supplies of marijuana and methamphetamines, also accounting for 90 percent of cocaine brought into the U.S.
While homicide rates are much higher elsewhere in the Americas, Mexico still averaged about 23.7 homicides to every 100,000 in 2011; nearly three times the rate from 2007, according to a report from the University of San Diego's Department of Political Science and International Relations.
Francis' comments come less than a month after a private email expressing concern over the "Mexicanisation" of Argentina surfaced. The choice of words drew ire from Mexico's government who sent a letter of protests to the Vatican.
On Wednesday, the Vatican's secretary of state responded by saying the Pope did not in any way intend to offend the Mexican population or underestimate the Mexican government's commitment in fighting narco-trafficking.
"I know it's very difficult to report a drug dealer," Francis said. "Because it's throwing your life away, a kind of martyrdom, right? It's hard, but I think in situations like this, whether in Mexico or somewhere else, we have to put it on our shoulders."
The second half of the Pope's interview will be released next week.
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