27th July, 2016
Francis spoke to reporters on the papal plane en route from Rome to Poland, where he began a five-day visit Wednesday.
Asked about the slaying of an 85-year old priest in a Normandy church on Tuesday, Francis replied: “the real word is war…yes, it’s war. This holy priest died at the very moment he was offering a prayer for all the church.”
He went on: “I only want to clarify, when I speak of war, I am really speaking of war … a war of interests, for money, resources. … I am not speaking of a war of religions, religions don’t want war. The others want war.”
Poland’s interior minister says more than 39,000 police and other security officers will be ensuring the safety of Pope Francis’ meeting with hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims from around the globe in southern Poland.
Security concerns were heightened after a Catholic priest was killed in France on Tuesday in a knife attack claimed by the Islamic State group.
Mariusz Blaszczak spoke about the extraordinary security measures on Wednesday just three hours before Francis was due to arrive in Krakow for a visit through Sunday that includes open air Masses and prayers with some 1.5 million participants of World Youth Day, and visits to the site of the former German Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau and to Poland’s holiest shrine of Jasna Gora.
“We have sent onto the Polish streets more than 7,500 officers who will be there providing security each day at railways stations, airports and shopping centers,” Blaszczak told a news conference.
Blaszczak also appealed to people to be vigilant and to report and unusual or worrying situations to police or other security officials.
“We do not disregard any signals but Poland is a very safe country,” Blaszczak said.