ROME – In an interview with an Italian local newspaper, Pope Francis has slammed claims linking Islam with terrorism, saying that is completely false and “foolish”
“It might be coming out of many people’s mouths, but this equation is a lie and it is foolish,” Francis said in the interview published by L’Eco di Bergamo on Thursday, the day the body of Pope John XXIII returns to his northern Italian home city, ANSA news agency reported.
“The most important role (of religions) is that of promoting a culture of encounter, together in the promotion of true education for responsible behavior that takes care of creation”.
The comments are not the first by the Pope. In February 2017, he stressed that no religion is terrorist, adding that the claimed “Muslim terrorism” does not exist.