The mercenary greed of arms
traffickers is behind the bloody March 22 Islamist terror
attacks in Brussels, Pope Francis said during his homily as he
celebrated Holy Thursday Mass at an asylum seeker reception
center near Rome.
"Behind the act of war and destruction in a European
city...there were others...the arms manufacturers and
traffickers," he said.
In the same way, those behind Judas paid him 30 pieces of
silver to turn Jesus over, Francis said.
He pointed to two contrasting actions to drive home the
importance of believing in peace and brotherhood.
"All of us here together - Muslims, Hindus, Catholics,
Copts, Evangelicals - are all brothers and children of the same
God who want to be integrated and live in peace: one action," he
said.
"Three days ago an act of war and destruction in a European
city was carried out by people who do not want to live in peace
- but behind that act as behind Judas there were others...the
arms manufacturers and traffickers who want blood not peace, war
not brotherhood".
Francis went on to explain the significance of his act of
washing the feet of asylum seekers as Jesus washed his
disciples' feet.
"In this moment when I will carry out the same act as Jesus
in washing your feet, we are all of us together making an act of
brotherhood and we all say: 'we are diverse, we have different
cultures and religions, but we are brothers and we want to live
in peace'".
"May each in his own tongue pray the lord so that this
brotherhood becomes contagious in the world, so that there will
no longer be 30 pieces of silver to kill one's brother, so that
brotherhood and goodness will always remain".
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