MOSCOW, September 13 (RIA Novosti) - Pope Francis has said that all the ongoing conflicts and instability globally amount to a ‘piecemeal’ World War III during mass at the military memorial of Redipuglia on Saturday, the Vatican news service reports.
“Even today, after the second failure of another world war, perhaps one can speak of a third war, one fought piecemeal, with crimes, massacres, destruction,” the pontiff said in a homily for all victims of armed conflicts throughout history. He added that war is madness calling it irrational.
War “ruins everything, even the bonds between brothers.” Wars only aim at destroying and they escalate through destruction, Pope Francis observed speaking at Italy’s largest military memorial, where 100,000 soldiers, who were killed in World War I, are buried.
The head of the Roman Catholic Church blamed “plotters of terrorism”, “schemers of conflicts” and arms dealers for ruining peace effort in the world. Currently, clandestine interests, geopolitical strategies, lust for money and power, as well as greed and intolerance are the main reasons for waging wars, Francis explained.
The pontiff called on everyone to shed tears over those who were killed in armed conflicts. “Humanity needs to weep, and this is the time to weep,” he said.
Pope Francis is currently on a visit to northern Italy to mark the centenary of World War I.
