“Not all Muslims are violent”, he said. “If I speak of Islamic violence, then I have to speak of Catholic violence”.
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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.
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, France.
“One thing is true”.
He, however, said: “I believe that in every religion there is always a little fundamentalist group”. “Touch the hearts of terrorists so that they may recognise the evil of their actions and may turn to the way of peace and goodness, of respect for the life and for the dignity of every human being, regardless of religion, origin, wealth or poverty”, he said in the prayer. “They go [abroad] and enroll in fundamentalist groups”.
“You can kill with the tongue as well as the knife”, he said, in an apparent reference to a rise in populist parties fuelling racism and xenophobia. “This is not right and this is not true”, he concluded, noting that ISIS is a fundamentalist faction that does not represent Islam as a whole.
Asked what concrete initiatives could be used to counter terrorism, Pope Francis replied, “Terrorism is everywhere”.
At a news conference in Krakow July 31, the cardinal said Panama was well-placed for air, road and sea communications with North and South America and would give the World Youth Day a distinctive character.
White House aides say that’s to avoid making it sound like the U.S.is at war with the whole of Islam – which is what terrorist groups want.
He said of the July 28 fall, which happened while he was sprinkling incense around the altar at the Jasna Gora monastery: “I was watching (an image of) the Madonna, and I forgot the step”. He explained that he tumbled because he was distracted, “looking at the Madonna”, and forgot a step down. “I had the thurible in my hand and I just let myself fall. Because if I tried to resist it, I would have gotten hurt”. “Once justice speaks, I will speak”, he said.
As crowds waved flags and banners, the pope delivered a sermon using a host of social media and technology terms to urge young people to look beyond instant gratification and try to change the world. People will listen to the truth before they will follow a political demagogue. That is how history is made, that is how we grow.
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During his five-day pilgrimage to Poland, Pope Francis visited the Auschwitz concentration camp, celebrated masses, visited a children’s hospital and held a string of meetings with young Catholic faithful from all over the world.
