“One thing is true: I think that in almost all religions there is always a small group of fundamentalists”, the pontiff noted, adding that it was a problem also for Christians.
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Pope Francis surprised reporters on a flight from Krakow to the Vatican late Sunday when he blamed the “god of money” for extremist violence in Europe and the Middle East, saying that a ruthless global economy leads disenfranchised people to violence. Like other religions, some practioners of Islam might be misguided but to link a revealed religion to terrorism is a sin and we hope Pope would continue hammering this point. “This is not right and it is not true”, he said.
He gave this answer when asked about why he never speaks of Islamic terrorism or fundamentalism when condemning attacks such as the murder of the French priest in Normandy, who had his throat slit by an Islamic terrorist as he was celebrating Mass. “Every day in the newspapers I see violence in Italy, someone kills his girlfriend, another kills his mother-in-law, and these are baptized Catholics”, he said.
Referring to Isis, also known as Islamic State group, Francis said it “presents itself with its violent identity card, but it’s not Islam'”.
Gendron said that when Bergoglio noted that he would have to speak of Catholic violence if he points to Islamic violence-he should do just that, to acknowledge the violent history of Roman Catholics against Protestants and unbelievers.
Poverty and moral emptiness leads to terrorism, he said, rather than religion. The pope added that people who chose to join extremist groups, such as ISIS, make such choices because they “have been left empty” of ideals, work and values.
When speaking about fundamentalists, he stressed that there are many European who enlist in acts of terrorism. You have erased the magnificence of creation and placed money at the center. “They seek peace, encounter”, he explained. This is a first basic form of terrorism.
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Organisers of World Youth Day estimated 1.5 million young people attended his Mass on Sunday at a meadow near Krakow, many having camped out in sleeping bags from a vigil service of prayer, singing and dance performances the previous evening.
