Pope Francis deplores ‘Third World War’

Money – or rather its misuse – is what drives people away from God and prompts them to go to war, says Pope Francis in an extended interview with Swiss public television, RSI.

From the war in Ukraine and wars in general the wide-ranging interview took place on the Argentinian’s ten-year anniversary as head of the Catholic Church.

RSI: You have often appealed for peace in the world. There are certainly plenty of wars going on. But why is it so hard to grasp the horror of war? If people did, wouldn’t they stop?

Pope Francis: To me war is a crime; it’s something that’s simply not acceptable. In little more than a century there have been three world wars: 1914-1918, 1939-1945, and now this one, which is a world war. It started on a small scale, but at this point no one can pretend it’s not on a global scale. All the great powers are caught up in it. Ukraine is their battlefield. They’re all fighting there.

This makes one think about the arms industry. The big industry. An expert told me that if no weapons were produced for a year, the problem of hunger in the world could be solved. It’s a market. A war starts, old arms are sold off, new ones are tested out… Two months ago there was talk about some strange drone; new weapons were being tested – are being tested. Wars serve this purpose, to test out weapons. If they tested something else of real benefit to humanity – I’m thinking of education, food and medicines – it would be wonderful.

RSI: As regards war, in a recent speech at the Sanremo Music Festival, actor and director Roberto Benigni quoted the article in the Italian constitution which says that Italy repudiates war. He said that if everybody had this wording in their constitution, there would be no more war. But it’s not so easy…

P. F.: It’s difficult, because there are vested interests. Money really is the root of all evil. The Devil loves to be around money. It has always struck me that Jesus says we cannot serve two masters. “Either you serve God…” and I expected him to go on and say “or you serve the Devil”, but he doesn’t actually mention the Devil. He says “Either you serve God or you serve money.” That is striking. Jesus demonises the false use of money. When people don’t know how to use money correctly – for education, for families, for helping others – and instead use it selfishly, it always ends badly. One ends up in a place without God, far from God – or with money as one’s God.

RSI: And the current global conflict is also due to this?

P. F.: Yes, there’s always money being made out of it somehow.

RSI: Prior to this conflict you met Russian President Vladimir Putin several times. If you met him now, what would you say to him?

P. F.: I’d talk to him straight, the way I talk in public. He’s an educated man. I’ve offered to go and talk to him. The second day into the war I was at the Russian Embassy to the Holy See saying I was ready to go to Moscow if Putin would leave me some room to negotiate. [Russian Foreign Minister] Sergei Lavrov responded: “Thanks very much, but now’s not the right time.”

I know Putin heard about this. He knows I’m available. But there are imperial interests at stake, not just the Russian empire, which has been around since Peter the Great and Catherine the Great, but the other empires too. There are these empires. And empires put nations in second place.

RSI: How is your relationship with Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, at the moment?

P. F.: I’ve talked to him on the phone. I had intended to have a second meeting with Kirill this past year, but we decided to leave it open until after the war. The other day I met Metropolitan Anthony, Kirill’s deputy. He’s a fine chap. He was once a parish priest in Rome, and he came with a letter from Kirill. We always keep up contact with the Orthodox patriarchs. Bartholomew [Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople] is like a brother to me. Another good fellow is Theodore II, the Coptic patriarch – he’s a true man of God. But I have good contacts with them all.

Catholic prophecy Garabandal: What happens if Pope goes to Russia or Moscow

The Catholic prophecy of Garabandal is a series of alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary to four young girls in the Spanish village of Garabandal from 1961 to 1965. The visions were accompanied by a number of prophecies, including one that said that the Pope would visit Russia or Moscow.

The prophecy states that the Pope’s visit to Russia or Moscow will be a sign of the end times. It also states that the visit will lead to a great conversion of the Russian people and the fall of communism.

Some people believe that the Pope’s visit to Russia or Moscow has already happened, and that it was the visit of Pope John Paul II to Poland in 1979. Others believe that the visit has not yet happened, and that it will be a sign of the end times.

If the Pope were to visit Russia or Moscow today, it would be a significant event. It would be the first time that a Pope has ever visited Russia, and it would be a sign of hope for the Catholic Church in Russia. It is also possible that the visit could lead to a great conversion of the Russian people and the fall of communism.

However, it is also possible that the Pope’s visit to Russia or Moscow could have negative consequences. It could provoke a backlash from the Russian government, and it could lead to persecution of Catholics in Russia.

Ultimately, whether or not the Pope’s visit to Russia or Moscow is a positive or negative event will depend on the circumstances. However, there is no doubt that it would be a significant event, and that it would have a major impact on the Catholic Church in Russia and the world.

Here are some possible consequences of the Pope’s visit to Russia or Moscow:

• Positive consequences:
  • Conversion of the Russian people
  • Fall of communism
  • Improved relations between the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church
  • Increased freedom of religion in Russia
• Negative consequences:
  • Backlash from the Russian government
  • Persecution of Catholics in Russia
  • Increased tensions between Russia and the West

It is important to note that the prophecy of Garabandal has not been approved by the Catholic Church. The Church has said that the visions are a private revelation, and that they are not necessary for salvation.