Skip to content
Support Us

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Alessandra Tarantino/AP/PA

Pope says the world is at war - but religion is not the cause

Pope Francis said all religions want peace, “it’s the others who want war”.

POPE FRANCIS HAS said the world was at war, but argued that religion was not the cause, as he arrived in Poland a day after jihadists murdered a Catholic priest in France.

In his first speech after touching down in the city of Krakow, the pontiff said the way to “overcome fear” was to welcome people fleeing conflict and hardship.

Opening doors to migrants demands “great wisdom and compassion” he said, chastising a rightwing government that has refused to share the burden during Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II.

“We must not be afraid to say the truth, the world is at war because it has lost peace,” the pontiff told journalists on the flight out from Rome.

When I speak of war I speak of wars over interests, money, resources, not religion. All religions want peace, it’s the others who want war.

The brutal killing of the elderly priest during mass in France on Tuesday, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group, has cast a shadow over Francis’s trip to headline World Youth Day, a gathering of young Catholics from across the globe.

“This holy priest who died in the moment of offering prayers for the church is one (victim). But how many Christians, innocents, children?” Francis said.

Polish stance softening? 

“The word we hear a lot is insecurity, but the real word is war. The world has been in a fragmented war for some time. There was the one in 14, one in 39-45 and now this,” he said referring to World War I and II.

A string of terror attacks targeting civilians in Europe appears to have dampened turnout for the World Youth Day festival, a week-long faith extravaganza dubbed “the Catholic Woodstock”.

Flag-waving crowds of youngsters nonetheless turned out in force to cheer on the pope as he sped to the Wawel Royal Castle in his open-top popemobile, defying security fears.

Around 200,000 pilgrims attended the opening mass on Tuesday, according to Krakow police, while organisers had expected around half a million.

Refugees

The French priest’s murder has also complicated Francis’s aim to champion migrants, while emboldening Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo and her right-wing government who have refused to take in refugees for security reasons.

But Polish President Andrzej Duda appeared to signal a softening of Warsaw’s stance following closed-door talks with Francis.

“If someone wants to come here, especially if they are a refugee, fleeing war to save their life, we will of course accept them,” he told reporters.

Poland is on high security alert, deploying over 40,000 personnel for the visit. Authorities also charged an Iraqi man on Monday with possessing trace amounts of explosive material.

“World Youth Day is a great celebration and we hope the attack in France will not ruin it,” said Marcin Przeciszewski, head of Catholic Information Agency KAI, as worshippers gathered Tuesday to pray for the fallen French priest.

“The best answer to violence is love, peace and prayer,” said French pilgrim Pierre Darme.

- © AFP 2016.

Read: Men who killed French priest pledge allegiance to Islamic State in video>

Read: US archbishop says divorced Catholics should avoid sex, live ‘as brother and sister’>

Author
View 163 comments
Close
163 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mary Lyons
    Favourite Mary Lyons
    Report
    Apr 15th 2015, 12:33 PM

    The tech guides go right over my head even though I am the one who needs them most!!

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Byyys
    Favourite Byyys
    Report
    Apr 15th 2015, 12:29 PM

    If you’ve limited space and have to delete photos or Apps to make room, then just buy a MicroSD card.. (I have a 64GB SD card with plenty of space left) Apple wont allow the use of SD cards with iPhones or no USB support either to easily transfer Photos to PC!

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kelvin Collins
    Favourite Kelvin Collins
    Report
    Apr 15th 2015, 12:35 PM

    However you can set up iCloud to automatically copy all photos to a PC as they’re shot, meaning you have a back up and can delete off your phone if you so wish. No need for any cables or leads!

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Byyys
    Favourite Byyys
    Report
    Apr 15th 2015, 12:43 PM

    iCloud?…. Naaaah ill keep my privacy/data to myself and do it the old fashioned way with leads!

    38
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kelvin Collins
    Favourite Kelvin Collins
    Report
    Apr 15th 2015, 12:49 PM

    You got some dodgy photos you want to keep secret?

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute LittleBlackPetal
    Favourite LittleBlackPetal
    Report
    Apr 15th 2015, 12:56 PM

    I’ve this problem with my phone now, and don’t really trust backing them up to Google or anything. Would you trust an sd card from eBay? Is an sd card and usb key the best way to go?

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute LittleBlackPetal
    Favourite LittleBlackPetal
    Report
    Apr 15th 2015, 12:57 PM

    Does everyone not have dodgey photos that they want to keep secret?! :-/

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute andrew haire
    Favourite andrew haire
    Report
    Apr 15th 2015, 12:41 PM

    Don’t take too many photos. Live in the moment.

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ken Peacham
    Favourite Ken Peacham
    Report
    Apr 15th 2015, 1:09 PM

    I use an app called Clean Master (Android) great for sorting and deleting duplicate pics – also keeps the rest of your phone clean of junk

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute mahonez
    Favourite mahonez
    Report
    Apr 15th 2015, 5:28 PM

    For precious pics that I really want to save, I email them to myself. Or upload to Dropbox. Or print em out. Crap amount of storage in iPhone 5c, so I have to try and sort and delete pics often.

    3
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds