“But it’s a real war, not a religious war”, Francis said.
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Speaking on Wednesday on a plane en route to Poland, the Pope clarified he was not talking about a war of religion, but “one of domination of peoples and economic interests”.
Francis then urged Polish authorities “to overcome fear” and show “great wisdom and compassion” in dealing with migrants, whose arrivals in huge numbers on Greek, Italian and other southern European shores in the last few years has strained European nations’ coffers, fueled the popularity of anti-migrant political parties and spawned fears that terrorists could show up on the continent by blending in with the refugees.
Poland is one of the most Catholic countries in Europe. Ninety-eight percent of Poles have been baptized, and Poland has one of the highest church attendance rates in the Catholic world, with some 40 percent of people going to weekly mass.
Pope Francis waves from the Archbishops’ Palace in Krakow, Poland, Wednesday, July 27, 2016. Several informed sources, however, say the underlying reason is that very many do not want Muslims or Arabs, and they claim to find confirmation for this stance from recent attacks in Europe.
During an outdoor Mass before tens of thousands of people, Francis prayed that Poles would have “the desire to leave behind all past wrongs and wounds, and to build fellowship for all, without ever yielding to the temptation to withdraw or to domineer”.
Pope Francis has been greeted in Poland by President Andrzej Duda and hundreds of singing and cheering people as he arrived at the airport in Krakow.
The pope’s comment came as French President Francois Hollande sought to head off religious tensions after the murder of a Catholic priest in his church, while his government tried to fend off criticism over security failings.
The killing of the priest in a Normandy church on Tuesday added to security fears surrounding Francis’ visit for the World Youth Day celebrations.
“The world today badly needs values, it needs faith and good, all of which your Holiness is bringing”, Duda declared in the castle courtyard.
Under the conditions of his house arrest, he was allowed out of his parent’s home, not far from the church, for four hours each day – a window he used to carry out the attack.
Flag-waving crowds of youngsters nonetheless turned out in force to cheer on the pope as he sped to the Wawel Royal Castle in his open-top popemobile, defying security fears.
He concluded his speech by inviting them in the light of their 1,000-year history “to look with hope to the future and the issues before it”.
The pope is now heading to celebrate with 20,000 pilgrims the World Youth Day, that Crux reports being the Catholic equivalent of Woodstock. The celebration takes place in Poland, and it’s a week long celebration.
The sense of expectation was apparent in sunny Krakow on Wednesday with papal white-and-yellow flags and images of Francis and John Paul II decorating the streets.
The blessing was held during the 10 a.m. Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Downtown L.A., which was filled with hundreds from across the tri-county Archdiocese of Los Angeles who were slated to make the journey to Krakow – including WYD veteran Julie Bosdachin, who is leading Leon and 33 other youth and young adults from Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
The French government says it will mobilize police and military forces to boost security in the wake of the slaying of a Catholic priest, the latest terror atrocity to roil the country.
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“It’s hard to move around even though offices have closed (for the event) and many people have left the city”, said Anna Gazda, 43, owner of a souvenir shop.
