Pope Francis has pointed out to a group of reporters that people who carry out violent atrocities are just as likely to be members of his own Catholic church as followers of Islam. He said:
“I think that in nearly all religions there is always a small fundamentalist group.”
In the same breath, referring to the Catholic faith, he added:
“We have them.”
The pope had been asked why he does not denounce Islamic fundamentalism when he condemns individual atrocities like last week’s fatal stabbing of a French priest, which took place while he was celebrating Mass. With the humanity and common sense that typify many of his pronouncements, he answered:
“I don’t like to talk about Islamic violence because every day when I look at the papers I see violence here in Italy – someone killing his girlfriend, someone killing his mother-in-law. These are baptized Catholics. If I speak of Islamic violence, I have to speak of Catholic violence. Not all Muslims are violent, not all Catholics are violent.”
He was talking on a flight back to Rome from Krakow, Poland, where he had been attending a major gathering of young Catholics. At the end of his tours, it has become customary for the pope to take the same homeward flight as the accredited journalists and meet them for an informal, unscripted Q&A session.
Continuing his defense of Muslim people in general, he said:
“I know how they think. They seek peace, accord … you cannot say, I do not believe, that Islam is terrorist.”
Returning to one of his favorite themes, he blamed the world’s problems and discord on the pursuit of money and power, saying:
“Terrorism grows when there is no other option and when money is made and it, instead of the person, is put at the centre of the world economy. That is the first form of terrorism. That is basic terrorism against all humanity. Let’s talk about that.”
See more of what Pope Francis had to say to the press in this video.
Image via European Union.
