LIMA, Peru (CNS) -- Governments, private entities and church communities have an obligation to be transparent to protect their people and land from the scourge of corruption, Pope Francis said.

Addressing Peruvian government authorities and members of the country's diplomatic corps Jan. 19, the pope said that corruption is an often "subtle form of environmental degradation that increasingly contaminates the whole system of life."

"How much evil is done to our Latin American people and the democracies of this continent by this social 'virus,' a phenomenon that infects everything, with the greatest harm being done to the poor and mother earth," the pope said.

Pope Francis returned to Lima after visiting the southeastern city of Puerto Maldonado. The pope was headed to the Government Palace when a tire of the Fiat 500 he rode in snagged against a road marker, causing a flat. The pope was immediately escorted to another vehicle for the rest of the drive to the presidential palace.

After being welcomed by Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, the pope began his address by praising the richness of Peru as evidenced by the biodiversity of the Amazon and the variety of cultures "characterized by ancestral values such as hospitality, esteem for others, respect and gratitude for Mother Earth and creativity for new initiatives."

Peru's historical treasure, he added, also lies in its holiness, producing numerous saints who have "blazed paths of faith for the entire American continent."

However, Pope Francis warned of several looming threats that seek to tear apart Peruvians' wealth, especially the "stripping of the earth and its natural resources."

"The loss of jungles and forests means not only the loss of species, which could also be extremely important resources for the future, but also the loss of vital relationships that could end up altering the entire ecosystem," the pope said.

Black market mining, he continued, is an example of an industry that destroys people's lives and the environment and encourages other social evils, like human trafficking, which destroys the dignity of people and of the nation."

"The vital fabric that constitutes the nation is thus being altered. The degradation of the environment, sad to say, cannot be separated from the moral degradation of our communities. We cannot think of these as two separate realities," the pope said.

Pope Francis urged the country's leaders and civil authorities to work toward building security for their people and their land so that Peru may become a "place of hope and opportunity for all, and not just for a few."

"In this way, all Peruvians can feel that this country is theirs, that here they can relate fraternally and equitably with their neighbors, and help others in their need. A land where they can realize their own future," the pope said.

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