At Sunday’s address to pilgrims, Pope Francis opened up about the Paris attacks by saying the actions taken by ISIL were inhuman, and they could lead to a “piecemeal Third World War,” Muslims all over the world are also condemning the bloodbath. Pope Francis took the opportunity to pray for the country, which lost at least 129 people.
Pope Francis prayed for those affected by the attacks that rocked Paris, and Muslims have flooded to social media to condemn them. On Sunday, Pope Francis addressed the thousands of believers, who gathered at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City where he confessed that he was shaken by the terrorist activities that left 129 innocent people dead.
The 266th and current Pope of the Roman Catholic Church told the pilgrims that the massacre committed by the Islamic State militant group was “not human.” Aware that the suicide bombers at Le Bataclan cried out “Allahu Akbar,” (“God is great” in Arabic), before killing themselves and dozens of others, the Pope reminded the world that using the name of God in vain is a sin. The former chemical technologist and nightclub bouncer said:
“…such barbarity leaves us stunned as we wonder how human hearts can think up and carry out such atrocities which have shocked not only France but the whole world…. the way of violence and hatred does not resolve the problems of humanity, whoever uses God’s name to justify that path is guilty of blasphemy.”
The Argentinean pontiff did a brief interview after the service where he explained that the sad events shook him. He stated:
“I am shaken, I don’t understand these things, done by human beings… There cannot be justification, religious or human. It’s inhuman.”
The Pope went on to express his condolences to the French people and President François Hollande and asked the world to pray for the country. He concluded by:
“I am with all those with suffer, and with France, which I love so much.”
Security has been tightened around the Vatican and across Europe as the manhunt for Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the mastermind behind the attacks intensifies. Many Muslims have condemned the attacks, including well-known Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at the University of Oxford, Tariq Ramadan, who wrote:
#Paris , the attacks … The right reaction in France would be
#ParisAttacks #ParisShooting #parisinflames pic.twitter.com/TJnsdENz6G
— Tariq Ramadan (@TariqRamadan) November 14, 2015
Those who still think Islam promotes violence. Here's Islamic narrative
#ParisAttacks #ParisShooting #Muslims pic.twitter.com/8IDqFJfZVy
— مُتعجب (@Moha_Alruwaili) November 14, 2015
Gunmen were heard shouting 'Allahu Akbar' but I did the same tonight, in my room, praying for those killed & their families #Paris
— Ayisha Malik (@Ayisha_Malik) November 14, 2015
