Pope Francis has condemned Jihadists violence as he insisted that the no conflict can become a habit impossible to break. In a report issued by Vatican City, Holy See, Pope Francis urged Israel and Palestinians to resume peace talks add that no conflict was impossible to break. Pope described Jihadist attacks around the world as homicidal madness as he urged religious leaders to reassert that one can never kill in God’s name.
Pope also urged government leaders to fight poverty so that fundamentalism could have its way. The 80-year-old pontiff voiced sorrow that at the beginning of 2017, religion was being used as a pretext for violence, rejection and marginalization. He pointed out to the fundamentalist-inspired terrorism that claimed victims in Afghanistan Bangladesh, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Egypt, France, Germany, Iraq, Jordan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tunisia, and Turkey
“These are vile acts that use children to kill, as in Nigeria, or target people at prayer, as in the Coptic Cathedral of Cairo, or travelers or workers, as in Brussels, or passersby in the streets of cities like Nice and Berlin, or simply people celebrating the arrival of the new year, as in Istanbul,” Francis said.
“We are dealing with a homicidal madness which misuses God’s name in order to disseminate death, in a play for domination and power.”
“Hence I appeal to all religious authorities to join in reaffirming unequivocally that one can never kill in God’s name.”
Addressing poverty, Pope Francis suggested that there’s a link between acts of terror and poverty.
“Fundamentalist terrorism is the fruit of a profound spiritual poverty, and often is linked to significant social poverty,” he said.
“It can only be fully defeated with the joint contribution of religious and political leaders.”
Pope Francis also argued that as much as religious leaders had to ensure that believers do not separate fear of God from the love of their neighbors, politicians had the obligation to deliver religious freedom and incorporate it within their model of citizenship. Adding that government leaders have the responsibility for ensuring that conditions that lead to spread of fundamentalism are eliminated, he pointed out that social policies should be implemented to combat poverty.
The theme of his papacy has focused so much on the poverty menace. Francis also highlighted issues such as the plight of migrants seeking better lives in wealthier countries.
