Flying back to Rome Sunday night from Krakow, he was asked by reporters why he has never used the word “Islam” when denouncing terrorist attacks. “It’s not right and it’s not true”, he replied.
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The pope said it was wrong to equate Islam with violence.
He responded that it was “not fair to identify Islam with violence and terrorism”.
Fr Clinton Farrugia, who was part of the organising team for the MSSP Oratory, said the success of the event and the pope’s message were evidence that the Church was still alive in the world today.
“Religion is behind the violence and jihad we’re seeing in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and here in this country”.
During the in-flight conference, Pope Francis explained he had a long discussion with the Al-Azhar University’s grand iiman, and so understands Muslims.
In the final homily of the pilgrimage, Francis said God ‘demands of us real courage, the courage to be more powerful than evil, by loving everyone, even our enemies.
“I know it unsafe to say this but terrorism grows when there is no other option and when money is made a god and it, instead of the person, is put at the centre of the world economy”, he said.
In an article named “By the Sword”, the authors said the war is a “divinely-warranted war between the Muslim nation and the nations of disbelief”.
The pontiff noted that “one thing is true, I think that in almost all religions there is always a small group of fundamentalists, and it is a problem also for Christians”.
“Pope Francis said he doesn’t like singling out violence carried out by Muslims because people of all religions are guilty of deadly crimes”.
Although the death of the French priest was committed in the name of Islam, the pope said that it is unfair to label an entire religion violent because of the actions of a few fundamentalists. He missed a step as he was blessing the altar and an image of Mary with incense.
A ray of light shines on Pope Francis as he answers reporters questions on board the flight from Krakow, Poland, to Rome, at the end of his 5-day trip to southern Poland, Sunday, July 31, 2016.
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Francis thanked them for the hours of prayer that went into their preparation. “After the justice system speaks, I will speak”.
