Pope condemns radical Islamist attacks as ‘homicidal madness’

                                            

Pope Francis has condemned militant Islamist violence, describing it as “homicidal madness”.

He said this on Monday in Vatican City while delivering the annual papal “state of the world” address, before diplomats from more than 180 countries.

The pontiff implored world leaders to improve social conditions that serve as fertile ground for fundamentalism and radicalisation.

Francis also spoke of the need to defend European unification and for greater unity in facing climate change.

The 80-year-old pontiff reserved his toughest words of condemnation for the wave of “fundamentalist-inspired terrorism” in 2016, listing attacks by Islamist militants in Europe, Africa, Asia and the U.S.

“Sadly, we are conscious that even today, religious experience, rather than fostering openness to others, can be used at times as a pretext for rejection, marginalisation and violence.

“We are dealing with a homicidal madness which misuses God’s name in order to disseminate death, in a play for domination and power.

Hence, I appeal to all religious authorities to join in reaffirming unequivocally that one can never kill in God’s name,” he said.