Pope Francis meets with representatives of different religions during an inter religious meeting in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace, at the Vatican. (Photo: AP)
Pope Francis has welcomed a multi-faith delegation at the Vatican using the occasion to condemn terrorist attacks and other violence committed in the name of religion.
Francis, whose papacy has stressed the need for religious tolerance and interfaith dialogue, met on Thursday with some 200 representatives of various religions, including Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
He told them: “It is horrible that at times, to justify such barbarism, the name of a religion or the name of God himself is invoked. May there be clear condemnation of these iniquitous attitudes that profane the name of God and sully the religious quest of mankind.” He received his visitors, most who are involved in charity work, in the marbled Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace.
In August, the Pope had said that it was wrong to identify Islam with violence. “I think it is not right to identity Islam with violence,” he told reporters aboard the plane taking him back to Rome after a trip to Poland. He was responding to a question about the killing on July 26 of an 85-year-old Roman Catholic priest by knife-wielding attackers who forced the priest to his knees and slit his throat.
