Pope Francis says world's democracies 'not in good health'

Pope Francis on Sunday expressed concern about the state of the world's democracies at an event in the northern Italian city of Trieste.

"Let's be honest: in today's world, democracy is not in good health," said the head of the Catholic Church, while stressing the importance of participation in democratic processes, including voting. "Indifference is a cancer for democracy," he added.

Francis was speaking at the end of the Social Week of Italian Catholics, week-long series of events focused on social issues. In front of a crowd of around 1,200 participants, he said: "Everyone must feel part of a community project. No one should feel useless."

The pope did not elaborate on which countries he was referring to.

The 87-year-old pontiff, who is in poor health, has not been on a long trip abroad for almost a year. In recent weeks, however, he has visited various northern Italian cities, including Venice, Verona and now Trieste.

In addition, Francis - who is also the head of state of the Vatican - attended the summit of the Group of Seven (G7) major democratic industrialized nations in southern Italy in mid-June.