Path of violence and hate is blasphemous ideology, says Pope

Pope Francis has reiterated his view that we are in the midst of a Third World War following the slaughter by Islamic State (IS) terrorists of 129 innocent people in Paris on 13 November.

He was speaking following a statement by French President François Hollande this week that France is at war with IS.

The Pope was asked on the Italian station TV2000, “You spoke many times about a Third World War … in pieces ...” Francis interjected, “Yes, this is a piece of it. There is no justification for such things … Neither religious, nor human. This is not human.”

Speaking at the Angelus in St Peter’s Square on Sunday he acknowledged the distorted religious roots of this war. “I want to vigorously reaffirm that the path of violence and hate does not resolve the problems of humanity. And that to use the name of God to justify this path is blasphemy,” Francis said. His remark about blasphemy might appear mild in the secular West but it is a serious charge in the Muslim world. Most  Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran, have laws making blasphemy punishable by death, based on their understanding of sharia.

French authorities say the Paris mass murder was planned in Syria and carried out by people of multiple nationalities, including some of Middle Eastern origin. Seven of the murderers died last Friday and as The Tablet went to press, a siege in the St Denis area of Paris had ended with the death of two people believed to be linked to the alleged organiser of the 13 November atrocities, Abdel­hamid Abaaoud.

Forty-two people remain critical in intensive care after Friday’s attacks, a further 35 injured people are on general wards, while 218 of the 415 victims hospitalised on Friday night have been discharged.

Condemning the attacks in Paris as an example of “maddening, terrorist violence” the Vatican said the events require a “decisive, supportive response on the part of all of us.” Speaking to French Catholic daily La Croix Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s Secretary of State, pointed to the Pope’s remarks in August 2014 when he said it is “licit to stop the unjust aggressor” with the cardinal adding that “blind violence is intolerable, whatever its origin may be”.

Cardinal Parolin said there was a need for a worldwide mobilisation of “security, of police forces, and of information, to root out this evil of terrorism” and that the forthcoming Jubilee Year of Mercy provided the perfect opportunity to mobilise the “spiritual resources” to provide a “positive response to evil”.

He added: “There is a need to convoke all the actors, political and religious, national and international. There is a great need to combat this together. Without this union, this difficult battle will not be won. And it is necessary to involve the Muslim community; they must be part of the solution.”
(See pages 4-9)