Once again, Pope Francis
has made global headlines, shocking reporters late Sunday after blaming
the “god of money” for the extremist violence that is taking place in
Europe and the Middle East. A ruthless global economy, he argues, leads
disenfranchised people to violence.
Responding to a question from a journalist about whether or not there is a link between Islam and terrorism, more specifically addressing the fatal attack on a priest by a Muslim extremist in France last week, Pope Francis said, “Terrorism grows when there is no other option, and as long as the world economy has at its center the god of money and not the person.” “This is fundamental terrorism, against all humanity,” he continued.
“I ask myself how many young people that we Europeans have left devoid of ideals, who do not have work. Then they turn to drugs and alcohol or enlist in [the Islamic State, or ISIS],” he said.
Responding to a question from a journalist about whether or not there is a link between Islam and terrorism, more specifically addressing the fatal attack on a priest by a Muslim extremist in France last week, Pope Francis said, “Terrorism grows when there is no other option, and as long as the world economy has at its center the god of money and not the person.” “This is fundamental terrorism, against all humanity,” he continued.
“I ask myself how many young people that we Europeans have left devoid of ideals, who do not have work. Then they turn to drugs and alcohol or enlist in [the Islamic State, or ISIS],” he said.
He
believes no religion has a monopoly on violence, and his own experience
in inter-religious dialogue has shown him that Muslims seek “peace and
encounter.” “It is not right and it is not just to say that Islam is
terroristic.”
“If I speak of Islamic violence, I
should speak of Catholic violence. Not all Muslims are violent, not all
Catholics are violent,” Pope Francis said, dismissing Islamic State as a
“small fundamentalist group” not representative of Islam as a whole.
“In almost all religions there is always
a small group of fundamentalists,” even in the Catholic Church,
the Pope said. They are not necessarily physically violent, however.
“One can kill with the tongue as well as the knife,” he explains.
Last
Wednesday, Pope Francis made similar remarks, arguing that the current
conflicts in the Middle East are wars over economic and political
interests, not religion, or what is generally known as “Islamic
Terrorism.”
“There is war for money,” he said on
Wednesday. “There is war for natural resources. There is war for the
domination of peoples. Some might think I am speaking of religious war.
No. All religions want peace; it is other people who want war.
A Bold Statement
This may seem self-evident to some of
you, but for many people, these are radical claims. He shows a
remarkable level of honesty and progressive thinking by recognizing the
real reason for this decades-long conflict, and makes a great point by
stating that all people involved in this war also want peace as well.
“All religions want peace; it is other people who want war.”
While not directly calling out who “the
other people” are, Pope Francis effectively removes blame from the
people and even the religions themselves, marking an important step
forward for the collective consciousness. It is easy for those of us who
are living comfortable lives in Westernized countries to pass
judgement, to dismiss an entire group of people as “extreme” and “crazy”
and even “evil.” By keeping us in that frame of mind, the people who
propagate and profit from these wars can continue doing so unchallenged.
Pope Francis even calls out his own
religion, pointing out that Catholicism has its own flaws and its own
extremists. We are all equal, and no one religion is the best. And as
the Pope himself suggests, all religions point toward the same goal,
which is peace. And that’s something I think we can all get behind.
Much Love
Source: collective-evolution.com
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